A Sunday Smile

Guys, I swear I bagged the sweetest person in the world 😭 How cute is this??

As an abuse survivor, it can be a little bit terrifying to meet someone who treats you nicely and who just does random sweet things for you, like bringing you random treasures for no reason. It actually used to freak me out- I was always waiting for the catch afterwards, because I had never experienced that kind of treatment without strings attached. Trust is still difficult. Even now, unlearning old patterns and enjoying real, healthy love is the hardest part of working through PTSD, and it's something I worry I may always struggle with, but I'm so much happier now than I ever would have thought possible. There were so many times I remember wanting to opt out because it felt like too much, but I'm so glad that I didn't. God knows what He's doing and He won't leave you broken.

I would never wish what happened to me on anyone, but I am grateful for where I've ended up. While I don't think God intends for bad things to happen to His children or that He makes mistakes, in retrospect, it does feel like most of the aftermath resulting from what happened to me has been turned from nightmare fuel into 'happy little accidents'. Nothing makes violence a good or acceptable thing, but God is very good at taking broken things and turning them into more beautiful ones. He always sends exactly who and what you need at just the right time.

If you've been through something similar or are struggling and looking for an exit, don't. I promise it gets better. Trust in God, talk to the people who love you, and just hang on a little longer. Wait for Him, and He will turn it into something amazing. Time will make things clearer, and eventually you'll have the full picture to look at. Once you get there, I promise you'll see that it was absolutely be worth the wait.

"All it takes is just a little change of perspective and you begin to see a whole new world." - Bob Ross