Build A Bridge...And GET OVER IT!

I was reminded over the last couple of days....don't forget EVERY place the Lord has brought you out of.   It's a dangerous thing to forget His grace and mercy and delivering power.  Yes, we must be kind to all people.  And we must know that the Lord can change anyone.  I know and believe that.  But, we have to be able to discern between true sincerity and false intentions.  Sometimes I try and figure things out for myself.  Or give everyone the benifit of the doubt over and over and over and over again.  I've put myself through more than I ever should have.  And little by little, certain small things have been happening that caused me alarm.  I, like always, thought, well, I'll see what happens.  Then, I felt this sense of alarm.  "Manda, don't do this again" I heard in my head.  One of my best friends, Jonathan even looked me in the eye and said, "Don't start with that again."  (He said it in the most loving, I care about my friend and I know what she went through once and I never want to see her do that again kind of way. That kind of made him sound mean, but I promise, he's quite possibly the nicest guy I have ever known!) I'm one who has asked God on several occasions, "if this is what you want then give me a sign."  Okay Lord, the red flags are waving!!  I will not turn back!!  Because you have never turned Your back on me.  I'm trusting you.  And I know that I know I can't go back there.  And, when it comes down to it, I don't want in that situation anymore.  It was horrible.  It wasn't of God.  It was torcher.   I am so thankful to God that He has  NEVER left my side.  He will never leave me nor forsake me!!  And He will give me the wisdom I need to not place myself in these situations where I get myself hurt over and over for trusting the wrong people.  Tonight after church I was talking to my dear friend Christy.  Her daughter, Carley, who is like 5, has a huge kid crush on one of our teenagers at church.  Carley was standing there asking me to take her accross the parking lot to were Mack (the teenager) was.  Christy just looked at her and said, "I wish you would just build and bridge and get over it!!"  I laughed but what Christy didn't know is that is the very same thing my Pastor said to me during that very, very trying time in my life.  It may have sounded harsh that he said that, but it really wasn't at all.  Because I needed to hear that.  And, when Christy said that...it was as if God was saying, "Manda, I have already brought you out of that situation.  Don't turn back."  Thank you Lord!!!  I've built my bridge.  And I got over it a LONG time ago.  No turning back!!!!