Dealing with Hurt

Bitterness is like poison. You will be mistaken to assume you can take it in, but not have it harm you. Gina Bello  

DEALING WITH HURT

It has never been an easy thing handpicking the pieces of a broken drinking glass or an egg. The human heart is no different when it is broken. Some of us can identify with that crashing feeling that comes with disappointments. Others are familiar with the emptiness of a love-lorn state. It hurts when someone we love dearly; trust so completely, and are totally loyal to betray us incredibly. Hurt can develop into fear; grow into anger, or stew into depression. It is essential to deal with any hurt feelings you may have.

Below are a few suggestions as to how to handle hurt:  
Face It ! To be able to come out of a hurtful experience and be wholesome emotionally and mentally, it is prudent to resolve to face the situation squarely. Running away from the hurt is evading reality. This does not aid recovery but rather jeopardises it.There's no need sweeping anything under the carpet. You have been hurt, and it is necessary accepting this. To live in denial is assuaging but is a deception of the highest order. One cannot run away from reality. Sooner or later the scales will fall off, and the dress rehearsal will end. You are on a live show, so do away with all airy fairy acting and see things as they actually are. Facing the hurt you are feeling is a majestic step towards recovery.  

Find Support No man is an island. We all need somebody to lean on in life. When hurt,getting a human shoulder to cry on, or a human ear to voice out your hurt feelings to can go a long way to make you feel better. It is healing to find someone you are comfortable with, and to actually let down your hair as you share your emptiness. So don't hold back. Cry when you want to, off load your anger and frustration, if any. All these are steps towards recovery. Contrarily, do not spend all your time, energy and future days looking for an understanding ear( some kind of agony aunt) to perpetually pour your hurt into.  

You Must Move On! You can also turn to God for support through prayer. He understands perfectly the language of pain and tears.  

Eschew Fault Finding and Bitterness It is not advisable to go on a fault finding trip. This may only compound your frustration and open the door for the entrance of bitter feelings. Avoid the temptation of drinking poison. Bitterness is a poison many people drink and amusingly expect the other person, that is the cause of their pain, to die instead. Don't be decieved - poison is poison! You will be mistaken to assume you can take it in but not have it harm you.
 
Improve Yourself Instead of planning a revenge, think of a lucrative activity or something profitable to invest your energies into. Do something worthwhile - improve yourself! A story is told of two young ladies who were spurned by their lovers, hence were broken hearted. One committed suicide right away. But the other wrote a song out of her experience that became a hit. She made a lot of money out of her situation by her great innovation. So you see, some misfortunes are blessings in disguise. Kindly take a cue from this story and channel your energy into a fruitful venture.

Study something new; or acquire a skill, or better still give back to society through voluntary work, for example. To climax it all, let us look at a Biblical character and learn from how he handled hurt. Joseph in the book of Genesis faced a situation in which he had every reason to be bitter. He had been sold by his own brothers into slavery. His brothers also feigned his death. Joseph obviously was hurt by their actions but he continued to serve the Lord and availed himself for God to use mightily, even whilst in prison. He did not allow the hurt he felt to consume him. He rose above it! When he had an opportunity to confront his brothers, he faced his hurt squarely by crying uncontrollably. However, he did not go fault finding, but rather made a significant remark - " You meant it for evil but God meant it for good." This statement was what Joseph's success revolved around. All through his hurt, I suppose he saw the brighter side of things. Hope stirred in his heart as he visualised the good that could come his way. He did not relent, but kept alive a flame of hope and a sense of purpose in life. This finally led to his exaltation, and is worth our emulation.

Dear one, if and when you are hurt, face the pain squarely and seek support. Do not go fault finding, but rather build yourself up and add value to your life. Make sure you do not wallow in bitterness, as in so doing you will imprison your progress. Bitterness is poisonous - do not drink it!