1Samuel 24:17 “And he said to David, ‘You are a better man than I am, for you have paid me good for evil.’”
Saul was out for blood and his plan was to kill David. On his way to find David, he went into a cave to relieve himself. What are the chances he would find the cave David was hiding in with his men? As Saul was doing his business, David snuck up behind Saul and cut a piece from the hem of his cloak. As Saul left the cave, David came out of the cave and shouted at him, “My Lord and king!” He proceeded to show Saul the piece of cloth he cut without Saul knowing. He told Saul, “I will never harm you, even though you are trying to kill me.” David was a good example of turning the other cheek.
When we have lost a child, there are people who often make hurtful statements. I don’t think they mean to hurt us -- they just are clueless as to the depth of the pain of this loss. I have been amazed at what word darts have been thrown at grieving mothers. That old saying about sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me, is like the craziest cliche’ ever! Sticks and stone damage can be mended and healed; the word darts can often take years to mend. I know before I lost my daughter, I didn’t understand the depth of this loss. It is a loss that never leaves us. It encompasses every minute of our being. I think what comes out of this loss though is it makes us better women. We now have a heart that is open to the loss of others. We also have words to offer that don’t cut and hurt but offer hope and comfort. I believe we also can be thankful for others who have not had to walk this path when they offer hurtful words. We can pay good for evil and be thankful they don’t know. YET!
Lord, I pray for those who are often hurt by the words of others. May we pay good for hurtful, because someday, they might find themselves in our shoes. Then they will learn.
– Michele
