I think possibly 100% of people, when they read the scriptures in John 4:1-42, about  Jesus talking to the woman at the well, and her having 5 husbands, that they  automatically think it’s all her fault. Maybe the thought is she is a loose, promiscuous  woman and the blame is all on her and she is “less than”. Especially because now she i s living with a man that is not her husband.

Maybe her first husband died, maybe her second husband had an ongoing affair,  maybe her third husband gambled all of their money away, and the fourth bought her  and the fifth beat her. Maybe she made bad choices, but choices she thought were  right at the time. Somewhere deep inside her there was still a sliver of hope, hope that  this time it could be different; better. That sliver got smaller and deeper and she  couldn’t risk marriage and losing everything again, or worse, losing herself. Or maybe  he wouldn’t marry her?

We have all made choices we thought were right at the time. Right for who? Often the  other person, the kids, our employer, our parents or siblings, and yes, sometimes for  ourselves, sometimes selfishly or in self preservation, but again most often with the  best interests at heart.

Thankfully, whatever the choices, whatever the reason, Jesus can and will redeem all!  When He comes to us, . . . if we will linger, sit with Him, hear Him and acknowledge  Who He is, we will see and know truth! The truth sets us free.

John 8:31-32  (NIV):  31  To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  32  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

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John 8:31-32  (V) : Jesus  (to the new believers):    31  If you  hear My voice and  abide in My word, you are truly My disciples; 32  you will know the truth, and that truth will give you freedom.

Let go of any shame, real or falsely perceived, and allow the healing to happen. Walk  and run in truth and freedom!  Free to have joy, free to see clearly, free to know  someone loves you unconditionally and that's all you really ever wanted, needed!! You  need to be fully known, seen, heard and valued for WHO YOU ARE, not what you do or how you look or your gifts and talents. Yes, those are wonderful parts of us, but  not  the parts that can be or need to be loved.

There is an exchange as you receive His love! You can love better, more fully, more  freely, with healthy expectations! Trust begins to build, the walls begin to come down,  you can see the horizon better, again daring to hope ~

This time, the hope is an eternal hope, not so much trusting in the complex details of  day to day life but trusting that God sees you, knows you and knows your needs better  than you do yourself.

You can now begin to understand that it is a privilege and blessing to live fully alive,  engaged with others . . . even among the hurts and heartaches

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