Generational

a short story

“Tiffany, every time you call me , it’s to ask for something,” Leslie replied.

“Well I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t need it, but if that’s how you want to treat your sister , it’s fine.” “Don’t guilt trip me Tiff. I just want to have a regular conversation with you, without your hands being out.” “Leslie, stop acting like I’m always bothering you. I swear you’re just like mom, so selfish. “You’re really going to compare me to our alcoholic mother Tiff?” Leslie’s responded in shock. “Well, you both are about the same to me! You only think about yourself, you don’t consider others. You’re going to end up lonely for the rest of your life. You care about your career more than your siblings. Just like mom only cared about men and drinking over her kids!” Tiffany yelled. “How dare you compare me to mom! I’ve always supported you and basically had to raise you because of her! Besides you’re the one turning into an alcoholic!” Leslie responded. CLICK! Did she just hang up on me? Leslie thought to herself as she tried to call back. No answer. Immediate a wave of emotions came over Leslie. Guilt, shame, embarrassment, sorrow, pride. Honestly, it was also a small percent of not even caring if she hurt Tiffany feelings.

Suddenly she felt the Holy Spirit tugging on her heart of conviction and the need to pray.

“God, I’ll be honest, Tiffany hurt my feelings by her words. Quite frankly, she hurts my feelings every time she calls, I feel as if she is using me. When she insulted me, all I could think of was getting her back. Also, God you know my silent battle I’ve dealt with for years of comparing myself to my mother. I’ve built my life and career this way so that I wouldn’t be like my mom. Please help me to release this anger. Forgive me for not being the bigger person and stooping down to that level. Help my sister find her way and help us to rekindle our relationship. We have been through alot and I just want to be the right example for her. I want to show her the love of Christ so that she may be persuaded to do the same. I want something beautiful to be birthed out of what you can do in both of us.

Thank you, Amen.

All of a sudden there was a knock at the door. Leslie got up to peek through the curtains. “Tiffany?” Leslie opened the door in shock. Tiffany was standing there with tears streaming down her face. “Leslie, I’m sorry. I should’ve never said those things about you. You’re nothing like mom, I was just angry and I need help. Please forgive me.” “It’s ok, I am always here for you. Please forgive me also, love you.” Tiffany answered with her arms reaching toward her sister. As they embraced Tiffany whispered, “Thank you Jesus,”

It’s hard when you feel like the closest people around you are against you. You would think family or even your closest friends would be your support system, but sometimes they are not. When facing situations where you feel belittled, less than, unqualified or insulted by people, just remember who you belong too. God doesn’t feel that way about you and neither should you. Words do hurt but there is a friend that sticks closer than brother (Proverbs 18:24). Jesus will never make you feel like you’re not worthy. He will never make you feel as if you’re part of a generational curse. He is the one that brings you out of that. Don’t let people get in your ear so much that you forget what God has spoken over your life. Sometimes people are so negative because they don’t have anything positive going in their life. Along this walk a lot of people won’t value you or see you the way God sees you. Honestly some people may not even be able handle your true worth. Some people want to see you fail. All we can do is pray for them and that God will touch their hearts. At the end of the day the work God will do in you will prove them all wrong.

We have to show confidence in ourselves as well. When someone or something comes up that could try to tear us down, we have to face it head on and trust God to get us through. Just like Moses in Exodus 4:10-14 “And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” “And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.”  Even after that response Moses still did not have the courage to go through and this made the Lord mad! However he told Moses he would send his brother Aaron to help him. Though you may not see the qualifications inside you, God can see much bigger. He made you for his exact purpose. All you have to do is ask Him to help you see that. He won’t leave you stranded, he is always there to help you. We can’t let people tear us down because they didn’t make us! We also can’t seek revenge when they come against us because that doesn’t make us any better than them. Besides, they will have to answer for all their actions one day. “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

‭‭(Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭36‬).

When people use you, mistreat you or talk about you , remember that Jesus went through the same exact thing. “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep your's also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me (John‬ ‭5:20-21). ‭Remember that everything He went through was so we could have eternal life. Even Hagar in Genesis 16, probably felt all type of emotions with dealing with Sarai. So much that she fled, however the Lord saw her in her affliction and comforted her. He comforted her so and blessed her generations to come. “And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude” (Genesis‬ ‭16‬:‭10‬).

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James‬ ‭1‬:‭12). We are not anything but what God has called us to be, no matter what people may say or think. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬).

Matthew 5:11 -“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.”