I was so angry. He had trampled me and it seemed like the footprint he left was well worn. Over and over I’d felt the sting of his selfishness. 

Making my own footprints on a gravel pathway the next day, I kept rehashing scripture from my morning time with God. (Admittedly, that time with Him was more of a litany of my hurt than quiet peace.) 

“Awake, awake!! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city!” Isaiah 52:1

“Where is my strength in this, O Lord?,” I questioned. “I know that even if he sinned in his actions, I need to forgive him. My heart isn’t holding much beauty right now.” 

“Shake yourself from the dust, arise; Sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion!” Isaiah 52:2. My thoughts went further into the passage. I can’t say God changed the word Jerusalem to Paula in this verse, but God made His point clear. I was being held in my unforgiveness and the clue to knowing God’s strength was to let go, but how?? 

Thoughts bounced in my head and though there wasn’t a logical order to them while I walked, by the end of that path, God had granted me joy. It followed directly behind heartfelt forgiveness. I was free! I almost sensed the flow of my bright beautiful garment around my feet.

As I look back on this admittedly rare experience, I can see that God did the following: 

-He helped me to see that it was my unforgiveness that brought my bondage. (Matthew 18:21-35) 

-He reminded me of my weakness of often feeling rejected and then reminded me that just because I felt rejected that my friend would never intentionally reject me. More importantly, God Himself would never reject me. (Isaiah 49:14-16) 

-He let me know that my friend was a sinner; so was I. (Romans 3:23-24) 

-God helped me to recall, for the millionth time it seemed, that He is my defender. (Isaiah 54:17) 

-He even helped me, even though I certainly didn’t feel like it, to purposely thank Him for “my enemy”, and pray for his blessing. (Matthew 5:43-45) 

What a breakthrough I had that day. It was well worth the struggle I had with God and the well-worn path of my friend’s feet and mine. I felt like I had truly gotten “dressed” in the strength and beauty of the good news of Christ.