The problem is that although it can be said with ease, it becomes difficult when you relive and deal with the pain of betrayal. When I was betrayed, there was no one around to console or push me to keep on living so I wrote this poem as encouragement to myself because this is what I felt someone should have said to me.

My betrayal stemmed from being hurt by someone I loved. I was cheated on, and this betrayal birthed distrust and more lies. Prior to the betrayal, I was at a place where I thought this person would never do that to me. Thus, when it happened, the actual

sound of my heart breaking was unbearable. I was devastated to the point where I became depressed and began to doubt my self-worth.

For a period, I battled with depression. My self-esteem was challenged and, as time went on, it crumbled into nothingness. I felt as though I could never trust again. I began to ask the “what, when, why and how” questions because I was in such disbelief:

What is wrong with me?

When will this pain stop?

Why did this have to happen to me?

How could he do this to me?

These questions yielded themselves to feelings of determination. I was determined I would never be the one on the receiving end of betrayal’s pain, so in some ways I became the betrayer. This was a vicious cycle until I actually dealt with the pain of being betrayed. Being the betrayer deceitfully made the pain subside because the relief was only temporary. It was not until I began to lean on God and His Word that I actually was able to feel real relief.

The question of why this could happen to me was answered when I looked at the life of Jesus. He said that I could not be exempt from persecution and pain because He was not. Keeping my faith in Him gave me relief because He loved, and continues to love, me pass the betrayal. He also shows me how to love others past the betrayal and, although it can be difficult, loving past betrayal yields to true forgiveness, which ultimately frees your mind, spirit, and heart.

Copyright ©2007 by Nataki Suggs