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Mended: Week 3

Published

11 years ago

October 18, 2012

Hi Friends. It’s Ashleigh again.

This post marks Week 3 in our discussions of Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole. If you have yet to comment, it’s not too late. The way this book is structured, you can comment at any point. So if you’ve yet to share your thoughts, jump in.

Our readings this week are “Flee and Don’t Look Back,” “Honeysuckles and Fireflies,” and “Us, Not Me.” I want to talk about what I took away from Angie’s words — and challenges — in “Flee and Don’t Look Back.”

In Angie’s examination of Lot’s wife, she writes:

We don’t ever learn her name, but her legacy is one of looking back. She has been rescued from death, from sin and depravity, and there is something that still haunts her enough to stop her from moving toward whatever is ahead. Did she want to see if it would really be ruined? Maybe she wanted to see her things one more time? Was she longing for a person? Or reflecting on the life she wanted to keep living?”

As I read this, one word came to mind: bitterness. I realized that while I don’t often look back and long for the past, I do allow bits and pieces of bitterness over past hurts to haunt me and, in a sense, keep me from moving as freely as I should toward what’s ahead.

Bitterness over injustice other Christians have dealt us — because these are the ones that hurt the most.

Bitterness over thoughtless words spoken to me as I grieved the death of our preborn baby.

Bitterness over how others’ selfish decisions have impacted our family.

And — to be completely honest — bitterness that I can’t disclose details; that I can’t name people by name or deed. Sure, it might make me feel vindicated for a moment, but it wouldn’t be helpful or godly or wise.

Yet, He’s whispering the words to me that Angie closes the chapter with: “Flee, love. Flee and never look back.”

He’s whispering for me to let go of the hurt feelings. Let go of the pain of betrayal. Let go of any and all lingering bitterness. To pray for those who’ve hurt me and do good to them. And it’s a challenge, but one I want to take.

What about you? How did Angie’s words in this week’s readings impact you?

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Related Topics:Ashleigh Slater Book Club

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Ashleigh Slater

Ashleigh Slater is the author of the books Braving Sorrow Together: The Transformative Power of Faith and Community When Life is Hard and Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage. With over twenty years of writing experience and a master’s degree in communication, she loves to combine the power of a good story with practical application to encourage and inspire readers. Ashleigh lives in Atlanta with her husband, Ted, and four daughters.

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"Real life is not always pleasant. Every marriage experiences disappointments, misunderstandings, sickness and financial crisis. Ashleigh doesn’t camouflage the pain in her own marriage, and offers practical ideas on how to walk through the difficulties and find intimacy on the journey. If you are anything like me, I predict that as you read, you too will find yourself laughing, wiping tears, and saying 'Oh, yes.'"

-- Gary Chapman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages