I know some people who have experienced adversity and who live each day in fear or rage. Their pain is the most obvious thing about them. Their desire for revenge affects every moment it seems, whether they are standing in line at the grocery store, driving down the road, or participating in a conversation. Everything is dark to them. Everyone is suspect. Nothing points to hope.
I also know some people who have experienced adversity -- even abuse -- and live each day in hope. They walk with a lightness that spills outward to others. They will speak of their pain occasionally, but they are not defined by it. For them, no darkness eclipses God's light. Everyone has a story that can be heard with a compassionate heart. Hope abides, even when it is hidden within the unknown.
I know one person who moved from the first condition to the second -- from the prison of hatred and despair to the liberation of hope and radiant love.
It took time. It was a process. It began with the consent of the heart, the YES to love and being loved.
(images from Pamela's Sketchbook)
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