Editor’s note: The following article refers to spiritual concepts. Please read Lovefraud’s statement on Spiritual Recovery.
It is easy to get caught up in the pain and suffering and not see all the good. Often times, when we are most hurt, it is difficult to see anything but pain and evil.
The world is full of good, selfless giving, love and miracles. We just need to look for it! I like a saying I once heard that goes like this”¦
“You are what you pay attention”
This is true for me because when I am grateful, I feel good. And when I feel good, I anticipate good things and miracles. If I am looking for these things, they tend to materialize.
Today I am grateful for all of you here at Lovefraud.
I am grateful that we can share with each other and heal together.
I am grateful for those that have helped me along the way.
I am grateful for my family, my health and my life.
I am grateful for Miracles.
Miracles are expressions of God’s love and they are not random events. We can participate in the process that invites them into our lives. That process is helping others heal.
Miracles are a correction in our lives. It is God doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves. There is so much talk of evil on this website, and rightly so, but there is something else that is so much more powerful.
That powerful force is the unconditional love of our creator. When we begin to trust it, miracles happen. When we help another human being and bring hope into a hopeless situation all of mankind benefits.
This is the solution. Be grateful, focus on helping each other and learn to trust God’s love. Yes, there are different ideas on what love is, but the most helpful “worldly” image for me is the unconditional love of a mother for her child (not the imitation that many of us were harmed with).
Hope you don’t mind if I use a little scripture today. This turned out to be my experience”¦thank God!
James 1:2-12
Trials and Temptations
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Now that’s A Promise I can live with! Peace.
Ox Drover
Travis, I agree very much that we should seek miracles and focus on the good in our lives that sometimes the pain makes it difficult for us to do…..”happiness I think is a by product of the small joys of every day life” combined with with noticing them.
After my divorce years ago left with poverty and two tween aged boys I felt pretty badly all the time lfocused on the things we didnt’ have any more….but one day the kids and I were outside. I had a water hose as I worked on cleaning and repairing a chair. It was hot and I squirted one of the boys as he innocently passed by me, of course he came back and tried to wrestle the hose from me, so we ended up on the ground wrestling over the hose, then his brother came by and of course we tlwo attacked him with the hose….before long we were all three rolling around on the ground laughing an d grabbing for the hose. Wet, dirty, laughing and I realized at taht moment that WE WERE HAPPY…not just that moment but happiness had crept up on us as a by product of our lives.
sharing the journey
.
Travis Vining
Ox Drover – I love that story! That is a great example for all of us. Happiness can be found in the little moments in life that we miss when we are hurting. Great reminder where to look.
Littlewhitehorse – thank you too. I hear some of that in your sharing. The little miracle for me is that you did exactly what you thought you needed this morning…
“Just needed to talk”.
That makes me happy. Thanks
MiLo
Littlewhitehorse ~
First and foremost ((hugs)). What you are doing with the memory box is bittersweet. I have kept one for each of my children and now for Grand. He does the same thing, hands me things he wants in there. While in therapy, he made a “treasure box”, just for him and all his treasurers. Maybe something like that for each child, plus your memory box. Let them pick out what they want in their “treasure box”. If they choose to put some of the upside down pictures in there, let them and don’t be upset.
Yes, yes, yes, our children are our miracles. I would get angry that my P/daughter would show no attention to her son, never visit, never come to any of his functions or special events. I no longer get angry, I am the one in the first row of his band recital, basketball game, horse show, etc., cheering with tears running down my face because I am so proud. I am the one experiencing the MIRACLE that is my Grandson. She is the one missing out on life’s most precious gift. He is 11 years old and HE KNOWS, he knows who has always been there and he LOVES me for it. He still keeps some pictures of his “mom” in his treasure box, but HE KNOWS.
Stay brave and true to who you are.
MiLo
Oxy ~ I love that story, makes me feel like I was there.
Travis ~ thanks for the reminder – Miracles – I am going to go out and enjoy one today. I am going to see my neighbor’s week old baby girl. If I am really lucky, I will get to hold her, ahhh the touch and smell.
Well, I’m off.
coping
Thank you. I enjoyed this article. I do believe in miracles, I have come to realize it can seem impossible to see them unless we are actively looking.
“Miracles are a correction in our lives. It is God doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves.” This phrase speaks volumes to be.
Jr. was my miracle. If it wasn’t for him I don’t think I would have ever had the strength to leave the spath. Not for many years or until I ended up dead…due to his violence or what felt like my own insanity.
It’s ironic that the spath was actually a biological product of what ultimately saved us. Sometimes this thought blows my mind. You see I would never undo Jr…ever… but it has been a rough road. Something I had never anticipated, planned for or would have wished on anyone..not parenthood but the relationship with the spath.
It’s getting better…with every day that passes I just need to remember humility and gratitude. while i rebuild my life and create a new heathy life for my son.
It’s taken 14 months and it still hurts. there are still so many things I need to do, learn and act on…
But I pray and do the best I can…from where I’m at today. Where I am at today is not where I was at yesterday and it won’t be where I’m at tomorrow. I really do believe we all need to take this one day at a time.
I personally am beginning to feel the joy come back into my life…it’s a slow process but seems to be happening.
God bless all..the sociopath is only as powerfull as we allow them to be. It’s so very hard…
Ox Drover
Whitehorse, I know you addressed your question to Travis, but I’ll tell you how I handled my photos…I took the ones of my son after about age 12, and I burned them. My “son” died/left/was stolen about age 12 and the man that took his place was a stranger. Someone I don’t know. So I burned all those pictures. Buried my “son” as well.
You might ASK your kids what they want done with the pictures that are face down. Since essentially you are building these books for them, I think they should have a say if pictures of daddy dearest are to be included.
I chose to keep the photos of my son when he was less than 12, when he was sweet and cute and I so enjoyed him. I doubt that my boys will want to keep them but they can throw them out when I am gone if they’d like. Won’t hurt my feelings at all.
What ever you decide, I would talk it over with your children before you burn the photos, but I bet they will care little about his photos.
MiLo
Oxy ~ I’m thinking along the lines of the pictures are of the illusion of their Dad, the man he maybe never really was, but somehow proof that he existed.
If that makes sense. Whatever the outcome, I would not read too much into their decision, Littlewhitehorse and don’t be upset by it, it is not a reflection on you.
skylar
Little White Horse,
I have not decided what to do with the 25 years of memories I have. ALL of which included the spath. Actually, my whole life was lived with spath family members and I can’t undo that too.
I can’t deny my life, just because there were evil people in it. Otherwise it would be as though I never existed just because everyone who was in my life was a fake. I was real and my experiences were real. This is important to me. The evil ones did shape me and have an impact on me. I learned the lessons I needed from them. So, although I don’t reminisce on the pictures, I’m keeping them put away.
New Beginning
LittleWhiteHorse,
I have been in the process of going through my Mother’s things as she passed away earlier in 2011. Among these are many family photos from her childhood and wedding photos of her parents. Her father died when I was very young, never really knew him though I do know he never once hugged any of his children so most likely there were “issues”. Included among these are many photos I had never seen and I so enjoy seeing the history of my Mom’s life. Very precious to me. It’s my family, my roots.
Regarding photos of my ex, including the wedding album; I packed them away and it’s unlikely any one will set eyes on them again until after I am gone. Then it will be my son’s choice and perhaps that of his children.
The worst of the memories of my ex evolved in the hundreds of ah-ha moments I’ve experienced. The photos were of happy times and perhaps my son and his children will find comfort in them one day.
That’s just what works for me. Each of us has to do what is necessary to move on and rebuild.
LWH, be strong and be well. ((((hug))))
~New
Post Script: Also wanted to add that a local “distant” relative has been tracing the family tree and also organizes gatherings of all the relatives cousins many times removed. Interesting thing is there are many, many branches however no information can be found on my great-grandfather except his birth date, date of marriage and date of death. It’s like he didn’t exist.