Saturday, April 18, 2009

I Feel Left Out Of My Family


A Sister in the Lord writes from prison…

I haven’t had any contact with my family since before I got locked up and it’s really taking a toll on me. It’s been a year now. It’s really hard and my birthday is this month, April 29th and I just don’t feel happy at all. I see everyone else getting mail and making phone calls to their family and I haven’t even gotten not one letter. I feel left out of the family.

Please help me. I’m saved but I can’t figure out why this is happening to me. I’m doing my best to change.

Thank you,

God bless!

Trophy of Grace replies..

My Sweet Sister,

I am so sorry to hear that you have not had contact with your family. I know that is rough feeling left out. I want to immediately encourage you with God’s Word.

“Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.” Psalm 27:10

Footnote from my bible:

By the end of his days, David’s family had seen its share of troubles. Fussing with his brothers (1 Samuel 17:28) was the least of his worries. His wife had been torn away from him (1 Samuel 25:44), then returned, only to turn against him (2 Samuel 25:44). David had sons die prematurely (2 Samuel 12:15-19) and one attempted to kill him (2 Samuel 18). Perhaps people, even your own relatives, have discarded you. God has a message for you-He will hold you close. He will never, ever reject you. Nothing can separate God’s people from His love (Romans 8:31-39)

“Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!” (Isaiah 49:15)

Even though it may seem that your family has forgotten or abandoned don’t fret because God will never forget you. He will never abandon you. He will be the strength you need to get through this.

Regarding your family keep praying for them. I know that when I went to prison there were certain family members that seemed to have forsaken me too, but I later found out it was just their way of showing tough love. They didn’t know what to say to me. They did know if they should believe if I had truly been changed. When I came home I had to give them time to see that I was different. Then after time they saw that our Lord had created in me a new heart and attitude. I had been transformed and anyone who knew the old me saw it.

The scripture verses of Psalm 40:1-3 are some of my life verses and if you will seek first the Lord and His way of doing things then they will also be yours.

Psalm 40:1-3

1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

Try not to meditate on what you don’t have right now. Focus on what you do have and be thankful. Be thankful that the Lord saved you and allowed you to have this time to be consecrated to Him. Your prison sentence doesn’t have to be your destruction or undoing. Let it be the end of the old you and the beginning of the new you in Christ Jesus.

Pray for your family. You will see that this is just a temporary season. You will have a family again. Our Lord will restore your family and give you back what you lost in your years of disobedience and rebellion. Take delight in the Lord, and He WILL give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you. (Psalm 37:4-5)

I will be praying for you and so will the women of WeUsed2bu. We love you!

P.S.

One last scripture..

"I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm—
my great army that I sent among you. (Joel 2:25)

Sincerely,