Sitting and thinking about my past and seeing God's work in me even back then is beautiful. I've always believed in Jesus name but hadn't always believed He wanted to know me. Knowing what I know now allows me to recognize His work in me back then. I realize that if God hadn't been watching over me during all the painful times in my life, I would now be hateful and a negative statistic in the world's evaluation of people. As a child I watched my siblings be beaten, my house torn apart(literally and emotionally), my dad be arrested, I've watched the people I love most be abused and.broken and carry loads of hurt in their hearts that I could not take away. Sometimes I wished I could hurt for them and I did. I realize that I've carried my own hurts along with the hurts of others for most of my life. I've wanted to hurt those who've hurt them but at the same time, I can't hate those who caused all the pain. I know this is God keeping my heart clean. I also realize that some of that anger was righteous anger but time as come to let go of it. I can pray for those who've been hurt and trust God with their souls. I could never bring myself to hate my bullies either. The one time that I fantasized of hurting them, it was like God playing a film in my mind showing me what it looked like to stand over another who had been hurt by my hand. The guilt I felt at the thought was so strong, I knew it was terribly wrong. I was so good at hating myself growing up and I sabotaged my life in every way possible. It seemed that every time my life would get on the right track I would do something else to mess myself up. God is bigger more beautiful then I could possibly imagine and He sees all truth and not the facade that I try to show. One big lesson God taught me from being bullied was how I never want to make someone else feel. God allows me to feel the pain of others and to remember those pains I've experienced because He wants me to connect on a heart level with those coming to know Him who struggle with similar hurts. I used to say "I wish this or that never happened to me but if I hadn't made the mistakes I've made or didn't feel the hurts I've felt, maybe I wouldn't love God as deeply and wholeheartedly as I do. And maybe I wouldn't see my need for my beautiful Savior as I do. God revealed something else to me ....until my want for Him equals my known need for Him , I won't truly do my best growing in His likeness! Life still confuses me but the one thing I do know without a doubt is that God is good and the only one I need and want! I love Him with every living cell of my body! I thank Him for everyone in my life whether they make me want to pull my teeth out or not and I know the good work He's started in me, He will complete!