normally when you see or say this phrase you think of people recently dying; a loved one, a friend or a friend of a friend. with social media being what it is you see a post of a person passing on and you think or say or see RIP, but are you aware that dying or dead people are not the only people that should rest in peace?
think about it, there are several scriptures in the bible pertaining to peace, here are two:
2 Thes 3:16 now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. the Lord be with you all. KJV
and my favorite
Phillipians 4:7 and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus ASV
God is love and God's love brings about peace.
I have gone through so many trials in my life, so many tests that could have broken me and probably has broken a weaker person. in the last five or so years I have been developing a closer relationship to God and it has allowed me to let go of some things from my past and look over some things in my present. it has also allowed me to forgive people that I never thought I could forgive and I forgave them not just for them but for myself as well because there is no way I would be who I am right now if I had not. the anger and hatred and bitterness would have eaten me alive.
on june 30, 1987 I was raped by my mother's then boyfriend and drug supplier, one month after it happened she allowed him to move back into our apartment. shortly after he moved back in I began sleeping at a close family friend's house, I call her my aunt and her kids my cousins. we are not blood related but we were that close. during my senior year of high school we had to go to court and I gave my testimony and he gave his and he lied the whole way through. I was dismissed from the proceedings and my mother later told me the judge threw out the case based on his testimony and the fact that my mother had allowed him to move back in after it happened.
I was devastated and felt betrayed and unloved by his and her actions, but mainly hers because she is my mother. I prepared myself to move out of the apt and move into my grandparent's basement, had the majority of my belongings boxed up and was not sleeping there at all. one day I came home from school and went to my mother's apt, let myself in, dropped some boxes off and walked back out the door. we lived in a high rise at the time that had both a front and back elevator and as I got on the back elevator the cops were getting off of the front elevator, they headed straight for our apt and raided it. they found my rapist there, who was still dealing in drugs, and took him into custody. my aunt's mother in law came rushing into her apt asking where I was and was relieved to see I was there and explained what happened in my mother's apt. he ended up doing some time, but not much.
we all ended up having to move into my grandparent's basement and my mother kept in contact with him. when he got out my grandparents told my mother he was not welcome in their building but that didn't stop her or him. my mother was still deep in her addiction so logical thinking, at the time, was not her strong point. he came by one morning as I was getting ready for school and decided that he wanted to end his life in front of my mother so he shot himself, he did not die. at the time I wished, prayed, hoped that his miserable life had ended. I called the police and explained what happened and they came out. i'm still getting ready for school when the police got there and they began to question me as i'm getting ready. I don't remember exactly what I said to them as they questioned me but I know they got the picture that I cared not one bit about that man's life.
a few years went by, he went to jail again and my mother kept in contact with him. shortly after he was released my mother married him. now i'd graduated high school, started college, got pregnant and had my first child. when she decided to marry him and bring him into our home that I paid bills in I decided it was time for me to move out because there was no way I wanted that man around my child, but sadly I had not enough money to move on my own and none of my friends nor their families would allow me to move in with them so I had to suffer through it until he was no longer in the picture daily. however when he was there the temperature was never mild, one night during an argument I had a butcher knife in my hand and I threatened to kill him and I meant every bit of that threat. he knew I was serious and called the police. they decided the call was unwarranted (one of the cops found me attractive).
years went by, more children were had, a marriage happened, I went back and forth to different schools and jobs and my life went on. several nasty things happened during those years, that's for another post, and I just couldn't cope on my own with it so I called out to Jesus but I was so hard headed and so stuck in my hatred and unforgiveness for those two people that I could not hear a word that the Lord was saying to me. it wasn't until several years and a divorce later that I realized I needed to let go of that poison and let God work on my heart and my life.
when I surrendered to Him and opened myself to hear what He had to say to me the burden had been lifted, the forgiveness poured in. I forgave my mother, I forgave my rapist and I forgave myself. my life since then has not always been easy but living it has been easier now that I know that His peace rests in me. I am resting in His peace. Rest In Peace - RIP.
enjoy life to it's fullest, live it to your complete potential and rest in the awesome Creator's peace that surpasses all of our worldly understanding.
peace and blessings wonderful people!
jai ar
