In the quiet recess of my mind, I cry out as the hurt of betrayal stays with me. Lost, I search blindly for a path of forgiveness in my anger and frustration.
Words said and passed on to others are like feathers in the wind. They flutter, rising higher and higher carrying whispers of deceit and lies.
In the following days I was consoled by a dear and faithful girlfriend who shared her own shrouded in deceit moment. We reflected on the damage caused by the violation of trust and the inevitable damage of a relationship broken by betrayal.
As I look in the rear view mirror today, I find comfort under His wings as I echo a story that was told to me. It has prepared me to think only of true things of the heart that speak NOT of hurtful words.
As she opened the door, she was surprised to see her friend. Over coffee they chatted even as the days were waning for a friend that was dying. After a few minutes they hugged, and one of the friends asked her dying friend, “Is there anything I can do for you.” She was surprised when the response was,
“Yes, please take my feather pillow outside and scatter all the feathers in the wind.”
“What!”
“I appreciate your asking and yes, please go outside and rip open my pillowcase and release the feathers.”
“Ok, now that I have done that, is there anything else you want me to do for you?”
“Yes, I would now like for you to go outside and pick up all the feathers and place them back in the pillowcase.”
“Why?”
“I want you to remember as you pick up each feather that your words of gossip and deceit that you have spread about me through the years can never be taken back and were very hurtful. It is just as impossible to repair the damage done by your words as it is to gather up all the loose feathers in the wind.”
The spirit of truth lies within all of us. The power of our words are the feathers in the wind that define us, build us up when we use our words for good.
