sometimes...

Life isn't fair.
That's something I've been told my entire life, but have been especially reminded of this past month or so.
Sometimes things don't go the way you'd planned(/hoped.)
Sometimes... things get messed up. It's never really a question of who's to blame because that doesn't matter.
Sometimes people misjudge you, leading them to say untrue (and unkind) things about you.
And sometimes it hurts.

I'm human, too. I know that because of things I've overcome in my past, people expect me to always "bounce back" and be strong all the time. But "words are like weapons, they wound sometimes." I'm not perfect. I know I've made plenty of mistakes and I haven't always set the best example. I'm not denying my past. I'm acknowledging it. I want everyone to know that if I could go back, I would do everything so differently. But I can't change the things I've done. The only thing I can control is the present (and the future.) I'm doing the best I can. I am not the same person I was two years ago. The change the Lord has made in my life is incredible. If people are unable to see how different I am, it's only because they don't want to. It took me fully relying on God alone to realize I'm (finally) okay with that. After analyzing the situation from a clear perspective, I found comfort in the fact that God weighs our hearts on honest scales. God knows my integrity. That's all that matters.

Thank you (you know who you are.)
Thank you for remaining loyal to me, despite the nasty things people have said about me.
Thank you for your indescribable amounts of support and encouragement.
Thank you for taking the time to see if I was okay.
Thank you for making me laugh when all I wanted to do was cry.
Thank you for constantly setting a Christ-like example for me.
Thank you for giving me realistic, Bible-based advice when I need it.
Thank you for lending me your listening ear.
Thank you for loving me, irregardless of who I used to be.