After the Story - Choices Like Rivers - Episode 58
After the Story - Choices Like Rivers - Episode 58
This podcast discusses each chapter of Choices Like Rivers and each episode is posted directly after the book episode. This to Chapter 20 Section 3
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Sharon is better, really doing much better. Here we see her admit that forgiveness is a process and that she is still working to forgive even when she feels the work should be done.
Her biggest hurdle in forgiving is her parents. She is trying and I believe there will be reconciliation of some type even though it may take awhile. We can only hope that it doesn’t take too long. Life is short and people often pass away before the reconciliation has come to fruition.
In the beginning of the book we didn’t see Sharon laugh or smile much. But now we see her enjoying the simple moments in her life. Bill notices it and talks about it with her.
The relationship with Will seems perfect. But even the most perfect relationships have bumpy spots, especially ones with this much baggage.
But Sharon is growing and changing. Will has grown and changed. They aren’t obviously madly in love with each other the way they once were. Could their relationship have grown to the place where they are no longer the perfect couple? We are all rooting for them though because it seems to be like a fairytale to us.
It is Sharon’s birthday and Leslie has planned a surprise party. Sharon’s world has grown since we first met her. She used to go home and fold in on herself. When the hearing for custody of Molly Sue was happening Will was hard pressed to find friends that knew her well.
But when we heal and become happier in our lives, people are more drawn to us, and we are more open to others as well. Leslie has been relentless in pulling Sharon out into the world and engaging her in activities. She now has many more people who would call her a friend.
At the end of the party she is given a very special gift from Leslie. One that given only a few weeks earlier might have sparked a world of pain and grief. But now it only sparks the warmth of precious memories. And that is the most prominent sign of genuine emotional healing.
Sharon’s world has grown. Do you have friends who pull in on themselves and constantly decline invitations to venture out to dinner or parties or even game night in your home? These are the people that need us the most.
They need to laugh and have fun. As we discussed much earlier, laughter is the very best medicine. And laughing with friends is the best laughter to have.
We all get so busy with our days. We get in our routine of enjoying the same friends, inviting the same friends, and so the cycle goes.
But, let me challenge you to try and think about one person or couple that don’t seem to have many, if any friends, who seem sad and even lonely. Take a chance and invite them out. Try and get to know them. It will take effort on your part and at first will seem more like an act charity than fun.
If they decline, keep at it. Often people need to see your sincerity. Go to dinner one on one. Then invite them over to meet a few other friends maybe for a game night. Who knows, you might like them.
We once did a game night years ago in our home for a while. They were a mixed bag of folks. They were from different walks of life, different backgrounds and so many other variances like differences in age groups. But we kept bringing them together and those nights grew into some of the best nights we’ve ever had.
It is important to do more, be more for the people around us. It is often effort to branch out to people we aren’t even sure we want to spend time with. But it may only be temporary.
It may serve its purpose and then they may feel strong enough to develop their own friend group. But only because you making the effort to pull them out of their shell gave them the courage to grow and heal from the wounds that may be causing them to shrink back. We must do more to take care of the people that God puts in our path.
If you are the one in need of that healing. If you are the one who stays home alone because it just feels better, I see you. I love more than anything to stay here at home in my own little world. But I do venture out on purpose.
If you don’t though, prescribe yourself a prescription of venturing out, doing something new with people involved. Book clubs, garden clubs, even church. Even if church is where your wounds came from, venture out to a new one and then volunteer.
Some of my greatest memories are from volunteering and getting to know, really know those I volunteered with. We developed a camaraderie and had so much fun together.
Whatever you feel you can do, do it. And then keep it up until it no longer feels hard. No doubt the first time will feel hard. It will feel uncomfortable, but the more you go, the better it will feel. You will grow to the point that you will wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.
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