My dad has noticed that I'm trying, and he also knows that I'm going to be making mistakes as I learn. I just don't know why mom can't get it. And why she has to hurt me like that, just because she's mad at me. This is the second time in a week that she's gotten mad and said something hurtful to me.
Dear BlueAngel,
God bless you for getting your life together and trying to change. We have all made mistakes and continue to make them. All we can do is ask God to renew His Holy Spirit within us every day, so that our mistakes become less frequent over time.
The thing is, forgiveness runs contrary to our sinful human nature. It is harder for some people to forgive and let go of past hurts than it is for others. Your mother probably falls into that category. Try to understand that she is probably not trying to be spiteful and mean; she is just being human. Your best approach, in my opinion, would be to forgive her the hurtful words and try to understand where she is coming from. This will not lessen the pain by any means, but it will make it last a much shorter time.
The Apostle, Paul instructed us to "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (Colossians 3:13) I believe that you will find that the more you learn to forgive your mother her outbursts, the less you will be hurt by them when they happen. And the most important thing is,
don't let them change your perspective on you. Always remember that God loves you where you are and how you are. Other people may be suspicious of your new behavior, but "...the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. ..." (1 Chronicles 28:9)
We are all on a journey. Our ultimate destination is to stand in God's presence and experience, firsthand, the joy of His mercy and grace. The Lord Jesus made it all possible for us. Our goal should be to be more like Him every day. And no one exemplified gentleness, forgiveness and love more than our Lord and Savior.
Stay strong. Your journey is just beginning.