There are some stories that touch your heart and you know they need to be shared. I recently had a conversation with Pastor Mark Sowersby about his tragic childhood, and yet his ability to forgive those who hurt him in the most horrific ways [How To Forgive Someone Who Hurt You Emotionally and Isn’t Sorry – Episode 184.] Mark’s story has personally challenged me to examine my own heart for those I need to forgive. Our words are powerful. They can bring life or death. Mark shares about words that hurt feelings and how to forgive them.

Be sure to read to the bottom for a chance to win a copy of Mark’s book!

Words that Hurt Feelings and How To Forgive Them
By Mark Sowersby

From very early in my life abuse was all I knew, I was a victim of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. It was the atmosphere, culture, and reality I lived in.

While there are many things I remember, I clearly remember moments that did not come with a punch or a fight but came as a result of rejection from people I least expected. My home was so dysfunctional, rejection and abuse were common. I felt numb to the shock and pain. I was not raised, I survived.

It is ironic that a person who has gone through so much abuse and neglect can be completely crushed by a single seemingly insignificant event. A careless word spoken, a minor event triggering a rush of emotions, feelings, and actions. The final card that causes the whole house to come crashing down.

I remember going into seventh grade, it was called junior high then, and it felt like a rite of passage. I was growing up and looking forward to going. It meant more independence, my own locker, and switching classes. I was maturing. I looked forward to getting involved in school every way I could–sports, drama, and student government. I was looking for a place to belong, be safe, and escape the dysfunction, pain, and abuse.

Let me share with you a little bit about my education. I have dyslexia, and due to the dyslexia, they put me into a program called Special Education. I had an Individualized Education Plan, but one of the casualties of my upbringing is I had to be my own advocate. Special education was not what it is today. In those days all special education students were put in remedial classes; it did not matter whether you had a learning disability, or behavioral issues. While I didn’t move between classes as much as I wanted, I still had some independence.

When careless words spoken bring crushing pain

At the beginning of seventh grade there was an announcement that we were going to elect class officers. It was a big deal, we would have a president, vice president, and treasurer. I was one hundred percent all in, looking forward to being a part of something bigger and healthy. When they posted the date of the meeting, and where the classes would meet to vote on the offices, I was excited and could not wait to vote. The day came when we were supposed to get together as a class and vote on the elections. I waited and waited for the announcement. The announcement never came to my classroom; we never went up to the auditorium, never heard about the value of student government, never got to hear what people said, or did not say. I remember going to our vice principal and asked when the meeting was and why we had not been called. I’ll never forget what my vice principal said to me. “Mark, we did not call you, because we do not call romper room students to do things like that.”

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Proverbs 18:2

His words crushed me and brought me right back home to the abuse and dysfunction. I felt belittled, shunned, and rejected. What hurt so much and why I still remember it decades after those careless words were spoken, even with so much other abuse in my life, is because I never expected it to come from an educator, a teacher.

From that time on, I have always been very aware of being marginalized, silenced, and rejected. The vice principal never put a hand on me and never physically abused me. But the words spoken by the vice principal in seventh grade kept me on guard, and left me feeling suppressed, silenced, and held back. They also gave me a heightened awareness and sensitivity to others who have been marginalized.

When God redeems your pain

Out of all the abuse I endured, his words crushed me, sunk their fangs deep inside, and colored my perception of reality, they rang true in my heart and mind because they reinforced the rejection and lies that my abuser heaped on me. Yet, I needed to carry them to the altar and forgive the person who uttered them.

As I walked through the valley of forgiveness, trusted the Word of the Lord, and stood on God’s promises, I would ask the Lord to help me forgive those who trespassed against me–my abuser, my mother, and others. The statement from seventh grade would call out to me, this one story would come up. I would say Lord help me forgive that vice principal. It took just as much faith to forgive that rejection as it did any other rejection or abuse.

God is good and He has been faithful. The straw that broke the camel’s back, God redeemed and used it. This made me more aware of who I am, gave me a will to fight and endure, it pushed me to persevere. I learned to never allow myself to be pigeonholed, and never give up. I laid my anger and insecurities at the altar. I held on to the truth that God never gave up on me.

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

God gives me the ability to walk in grace and forgiveness through His love and mercy. May the Lord be glorified. May you, too, find the peace that forgiveness brings.

We’d love to hear about your experience with forgiveness in the comments below.

Mark Sowersby
Author, Forgiving the Nightmare

 

 

About Mark Sowersby

Mark Sowersby, authorPastor. Husband. Father. Reverend Mark Sowersby has been married to his wonderful wife Jennifer for 18 years and is the father of four children. Mark has been an ordained minister with Assembly of God for over 25 years and is currently the Pastor of Calvary Community Church in Dudley, MA. Pastor Mark holds a BA in theology from Zion Bible College/Northpoint Bible College.

In 2019 Pastor Mark went through a time of great healing. He began speaking about the experiences of his past and God’s grace and the transformational work of forgiveness in his life. He now speaks about his story through his ministry, Forgiving The Nightmare.

When he isn’t serving his congregation and his community through ministry, teaching, and support, you can find him on all the trails and lakes in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Upstate New York, spending time with his family.

Book Giveaway!

Forgiving the Nightmare by Mark SowersbyIn conjunction with this post and the podcast interview, Mark is giving away a free copy of his book, Forgiving the Nightmare.

Leave a comment below sharing with us one thing you learned about how to forgive when careless words are spoken and you will be entered into the contest for your chance to win a copy of his book.

You could also share this blog post on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter then comment here to tell us where you shared it and you’ll also be entered into the drawing.

The winner will be selected at random and announced next Monday, October 31, 2022. Continental United States only.

 

(If there are affiliate links in this post, meaning, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no extra cost to you)).

 

Our words are powerful. Words spoken in careless ways can cause damage for decades to come. When words hurt your feelings and bring crushing pain, how do you forgive?

Share
Tweet
Pin
Share
Email
%d bloggers like this: