A therapist I had when I was in my twenties described it this way: I had an all-out addiction to misery and woe; I was bound to a martyrdom of a most unholy kind.
The wounds of my youth had created in me a walking hope-crusher swimming in negativity. Think “Eeyore” without the charm. I cringe to think of how I must have burdened my family and friends with this festering life posture.
Thankfully, those who know me now would never imagine that at one point in my life, I was crippled with self-pity and negativity. God’s healing has been deep and thorough. And now, in the time-honored tradition of “If you spot it, you got it!” I can see this affliction in others quickly and it always makes me smile a little bit. I smile because I know how to pray for them and because I see myself from so long ago. I know exactly how much healing is available to them in Christ. That is: 100 percent.
It is not too late, no matter what your bondage may be—food, shopping, pessimism, self-pity, pornography, an affair of the heart—whatever your “no-god” god is, as Baruch calls it. It is never too late, no matter how entrenched you might be in some destructive and sinful habit, to “turn ten times the more to seek him,” to seek the One Who has written your name in Heaven. (See Baruch 4:28.)
And to any sister-Eeyore out there, I’m telling you, you do not have to be a slave to pessimism, self-doubt, or negativity. You have been designed for hope; I know it. And I’m praying for you. I promise.
You have been designed for hope; I know it. // Liz KellyClick to tweet
Delve deep into these beautiful prayers for healing as set forth by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Liz Kelly is a jazz singer who fell in love with Jesus. She writes, teaches, offers spiritual direction and retreats with a special interest in helping women to flourish in their faith. She’s written six books, including the award-winning Jesus Approaches and the Jesus Approaches Study Supplement. And she still sings jazz, but mainly in the tub and while washing dishes. Find out more about her here.
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