Stopping the legacy

Sometimes in families things get passed down from generation to generation that are priceless and valuable. You cherish them, insure them, pass on stories about them. You set them out on display for everyone to see because you are so proud of them. You might even list them in your will because they are such a valued part of your heritage that it's important for them to be passed on to your loved ones. But what about when some of the things getting passed on aren't so great? What about dysfunction and hurt. Unfortunately more often than not those things get passed down too. When you know better you do better, but until that happens you just keep doing bad. And instead of handing down the locket, silver or family paintings you hand down the sarcasm, the critical spiritedness, anger, bitterness and resentments (just to name a few). Sometimes there has to come a time when a person is willing to stand up and say "This legacy stops here."

The Lord knows that I've had my family struggles... I've even written about some of them on here. But some of the people dearest to my heart are facing these issues today as we speak. I'm not actually going through it today, but my heart is aching for them just as if I were.

It takes courage to stand up for yourself....especially to your family. Sometimes, though, it's necessary. To continue to allow ourselves to go through the same garbage over and over is nothing short of neglect and abuse and it's a sin against your spirit, heart and body... because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. So God begins to take us on a journey. Some people don't know or acknowledge their journeys and they stay in the middle of the garbage heap. Some of us... the lucky ones... see the trouble and seek to change it. And it's after the "light-bulb moment" when it's known and recognized that help and healing are needed that God brings us to a crossroads. You can continue on the same path.......................or you can take a deep breath, fall to your knees in prayer, put on your armor, muster your courage...............then stand in faith.............and turn. Turn to the road less traveled. No one said it would be easy. As a matter of fact it will probably be hard. It's scary. But once you're aware of the problem you can't pretend you're not and it's then that you have to do something to change. Alot of people are too afraid to make the turn and start a new journey. New beginnings are really frightening. And sad! Every new beginning comes from some other new beginnings end. Think about that for a moment. In order to have a new beginning.... something else has to end. Endings are sad.... even when it's a happy ending you'll usually find people crying! But you know what? God is faithful and we have to trust that he is giving us good courage to go out even when we aren't sure where we're going. All we know is that his hand is leading us and his love is supporting us.

Being brave doesn't mean you're not afraid... it just means that when you're afraid you do it anyways. Sometimes doing the right thing means knowing that you're afraid... but you make the decision to just step out.......and do it afraid.

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