In the Hurt

Published: Nov. 11, 2022, midnight

b'There are things in my life that I had once that I don\\u2019t have anymore.\\nThere are relationships that were once a big deal to me that were taken\\nfrom me and are gone now. There are times when the pain of what I lost is\\nvery heavy\\u2026 And there are times when I realize that the fact that I feel\\npain means I once had something good. I look back on the things I used to\\nhave, and I realize I have memories because life used to be different. I\\ncan smile at some of the things I used to do and the events I got to\\nexperience. I look back on the life I\\u2019ve lived because of the relationships\\nI used to have, and I know those relationships made me a better person. I\\ngrew up because of all I went through. I\\u2019m grateful to God. He is working\\nall things together for His good purposes (Romans 8:28). He gave me special\\nmoments with people before I lost those people. He used situations in my\\nlife to help me become who I am today. Jesus has been with me through it\\nall, and He will continue to lead me. \\u2022 Emily Acker \\u2022 Have you had things\\ncome up in your life that hurt you but led to growth? \\u2022 Read Hebrews\\n4:14-16 and 1 Peter 5:7. How might the promises in these verses make it\\neasier for you to bring your hurts to God? Who are safe people\\u2014such as\\nparents, counselors, teachers, friends, or youth leaders\\u2014you can go to when\\nyou are processing hard things? \\u2022 Read Romans 8 and Revelation 21:1-4. In\\nlight of God\\u2019s good plans for the future, what promises are included for\\nthe present? How can these plans and promises give us comfort when we face\\ndifficult times? Many are the plans in a person\\u2019s heart, but it is the\\nLord\\u2019s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nProv.16.1-Prov.16.4|Prov.19.21'