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It’s okay to walk away from something that hurts you.

Sometimes, no matter how hard we wish the circumstances of life were different, they never change–and never will.

Those are the times when the best thing to do is turn the radio up and sing along with country/western singer Jo Dee Messina as she sings “Bye-Bye.” On the other hand, you may only want to turn the rearview mirror sideways for a while. You can keep it that way long enough to take the action necessary to stop the cycle of pain, give your heart time to heal, and regain your strength. But not so long that you lose sight of the fact that nearly every successful bounce back includes a realistic look back. The trick is to keep the lesson and let go of the pain.

I will never forget the brutal pain of betrayal and crushing rejection I felt the night my former husband agreed with his lover that I needed to leave–and quickly. I literally found myself out in the snow with two small children and nowhere to go.

In my heartache, I drew closer to God, and He was faithful to comfort, protect, and sustain me. But once I was back on my feet, I was off and running again on “Penny Power” with little thought of looking back, learning from the past, or applying those valuable lessons in my life.

For a while I did all right. That was before my son was about to enter kindergarten and the weight of single parenthood and an uncertain future brought me to my knees again.

This time I stayed close to God long enough for Him to show me how He never wastes our pain. His grace flows through every circumstance of our lives. I’m sure because I have seen it in my life and in the lives of others.

If you have ever dealt with the pain of rejection, abuse, or disappointment, you know how difficult it can be to let go of the pain and move beyond it. Pain, however, does not get the final say so. God does. Without picking at the scabs or replaying the DVD in HD over and over again, you can look back, review the past, and discover the positive.

God can continue to use your pain for good in your life and the lives of others.

(Devotion used by permission of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.)

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)

(For more devotions, visit us at Christian Devotions.)