Behind
the Scenes
(Act Three)
By Karen D’Amore
“…Love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who
mistreat you.”
Luke
6: 27-28 (NIV)
Feeling
safe within the confines of the retreat walls, I didn’t want the day to end. With
God’s protective presence oozing from every corner, I longed to linger in that
protective bubble. My still-raw emotions weren’t ready to re-emerge into the
battlefield of life. But as I reflected on and basked in God’s work behind the
scenes, I felt empowered and safe to face my abuser. With confident assurance that
God was standing in the gap, I could trust Him to help fight my battles.
With
a heart saturated with valuable “take-a-ways” gleaned from the retreat, I would
prayerfully cling to every word of encouragement. When weeks later, I crossed paths
with my abuser, I was eased by her subdued countenance. I would later learn
that others who were also victims of her abusiveness had called her out on her
behavior. They’d made it clear that slander and other such abusive behavior
would not be tolerated.
Personally,
I was exhausted and preferred to wash my hands of her, but…God had different
plans! He’d commanded me to love her in the past and God was calling me to
continue loving her. On that first encounter, following the retreat, I could
feel God nudging me to “tell” her that I loved her. And so, in obedience to
that nudge, I cupped her cheeks in the palm of my hands and told her that I
loved her. Sobbing, she collapsed into my arms, begging for forgiveness. I
assured her that all was forgiven, just as Jesus has and continues to forgive
me. I encouraged her that the past was behind us, never to be discussed again and
that we would move forward into the future…stronger and better than ever.
I
once read that the true mark of maturity is that when someone hurts you, you try
to understand their situation instead of trying to hurt them back. We never
know the history motivating the actions of those who wrong us. And though I
don’t believe God calls us to be anybody’s “punching bag,” He does call us to
respond in love. Sometimes that love
must be tough…and other times that love must be merciful, but true, godly love
must always be Holy Spirit-empowered.
With
love standing the test of time, Jesus was glorified through the loving of my
abuser. Yes, He empowered me to love and love and keep on loving…and I’m
blessed to share that love finally reaped redemption!
GOING DEEPER:
1. What ways can you show love today…even when
it’s hard?
FURTHER READING:
Married
to Dan, Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at
Craig Berns Salon and Foot Care Specialist at Shorehaven Senior Facility. She’s
on the Oakwood Women’s Ministry Special Events planning team.
