The hurt is this big!! Not long ago, I sat with a young lady named Lorie, who was describing her pain and anger. She described a life of abandonment and abuse that culminated in rape. Tears flowed openly as she shared. I asked if she could describe how big is the hurt she feels. Would it be this big (size of a basketball) . . . or this big (size of a beach ball) . . . or this big (stretching to the size of a large boulder as wide as I could reach)?

With tears pooling, Lorie stretched her arms out as wide as she could and said, “This big.”

I said,  “When your hurt is that big, it is all you can see. You could have a bright future full of Hope and dreams, but if all you can see is this huge ball of hurt and pain, you will never see the future God has for you. The hurt and pain then becomes the focus of your life and identity.”

We live in a world that has rejected God, which causes the world to be a dangerous and frightening place.

But God understands your hurt. He knows all about your past and what you are going through right now.

I continued talking to Lorie, “The ball of hurt and pain may be so big you cannot hold it right now. If you will let us, together we will all work on making it smaller. It will not totally go away, but in a few weeks, you will be able to see God has a plan for you beyond all the hurt of your past. You may not be able to see it now, but we can see it. You are incredibly strong to have survived all that you have been through. We believe you can accomplish anything!

We will chip away at it, and before long, the huge boulder of pain could be the size of a basketball, then even smaller to the size of a softball, and then as we work together to discover all the plans God has for your life. God’s love, Hope, and healing will continue to chip away at that huge, unmanageable boulder of hurt and anger until it is as tiny as a pebble. You may never forget it, but it will become part of the path that takes you to a great future. It is part of the road you have traveled but does not control or define your life.”

We believe God has great plans for every child who comes to The Heart of Florida Youth Ranch! It is amazing to see the first sparks of hope flicker in the eyes of a child. Every day, we are chipping away at the hurt, anger and pain. Thank you for your support and your prayers.