📖 Excerpted from God Jots: Forgiveness and Healing
Plot Twist: Getting Even Doesn’t Actually Make You Even
Revenge always seems like such a great idea at first. You think, “Ooh, if I could just get that last word in… or maybe send them a glitter bomb in the mail.” I mean, who hasn’t imagined a perfectly timed mic drop moment worthy of a Hollywood script?
But you know what getting even actually gets you?
“At a certain point this isn’t justice anymore. It’s vengeance. One way or another, Love is a choice.”
“Think about how that ‘corrosive anger’ might change the way you behave. You may have already noticed this in yourself or someone else. It’s subtle at first but before you know it that ‘corrosion’ has eaten through so much of who you are that you’re practically acting (and reacting) like someone else entirely.”
Tell me that doesn’t hit just a little too close to home.
I wrote this part of the book because I realized how often I default to self-righteous indignation. Revenge feels like power. But it’s not. It’s just prolonged captivity dressed up like closure.
Holding A Grudge Is Not A Personality Trait
Let’s be real: some of us carry grudges like they’re family heirlooms. We polish them, protect them, put them on display during holiday dinners. But what we think is self-defense is often just self-destruction in a tuxedo.
“Have you ever thought about why you’re so easily pricked when you see a particular kind of post or comment on social media?… Are you mad at that person or that post? Or are you mad at someone—or something—else? Is it possible the person you’re mad at is actually you?”
“All that venom and vitriol that you’re pouring out isn’t going to the right place. And it’s nasty like this because it’s corroding you from the inside.”
That one’s from personal experience. I’ve held onto stuff for years, convinced it gave me strength, when all it really gave me was anxiety, cynicism, and possibly an ulcer.
It’s hard to heal when you keep picking the scab.
Revenge Doesn’t Serve You—It Owns You
You think revenge makes you feel powerful, but it actually makes you feel responsible for someone else’s pain. And you know what’s worse than suffering injustice? Becoming the thing that inflicted it.
“It’s also making you vulnerable to the dark forces that want to control you. Forgiveness—whether it’s for yourself or for someone else—might be just the thing you need to take that control back. Empower yourself to do so.”
You can’t walk forward if you’re always looking back, especially if you’re dragging the weight of what they did to you. And, honestly, they probably aren’t even thinking about it anymore. They’re out there living their life, while you’re stuck in an endless rerun of a show you never liked.
The Real Power Is In Letting Go
I’m not saying forget. I’m saying fly. You cannot ascend while gripping your pain like luggage at the gate.
“Do you want to move forward or do you want to stay right where you are? And if you want to move forward, how are you going to do that carrying all that baggage? Wouldn’t it be easier to remove some of it?”
“The more and more you’re carrying, the less organized you’re likely to be… and—crap! There goes my flight! I guess I’m stuck in Kenosha for a while. Should’ve let some of that baggage go!”
You’re not stuck. You’re just weighed down.
Why This Book Might Just Be Your Soul’s Reset Button
If you’re exhausted from holding everything in, or if bitterness has been your emotional support animal for way too long, God Jots: Forgiveness and Healing is here to pry those claws off your heart.
It’s not a self-help book with flowery quotes and unrealistic expectations. It’s gritty. It’s honest. And yes, it might even make you laugh while it punches you in the spiritual gut (in the best way).
“It doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten the pain or that what they did was okay. It just means you’re ready to let it stop controlling your life.”
This chapter—and this whole book—is me putting my arm around your shoulder and saying, “Yeah, it hurt. But you don’t have to hurt forever.”
Forgiveness And Healing
Whether you’re seeking forgiveness, offering it, or simply trying to understand what it really means, this book meets you exactly where you are. And walks with you from there.
Drawing from biblical truths, real-life stories, and a little irreverent humor (because let’s be honest, healing is hard enough), this book offers practical steps and heartfelt insights for anyone trying to let go of past hurts.