WHEN YOU STAY TOO LONG

When God gives you clear opportunities to leave a mentally, emotionally and/or physically abusive relationship and you choose to stay... it slowly starts to destroy parts of you that were never meant to die!!

Every time you ignore that open door, that uneasy feeling, that answered prayer disguised as disruption, you're teaching yourself that YOUR peace doesn't matter. You're saying to your OWN heart, "I'd rather stay in what's familiar because it hurts too much to leave," or "it's too scary to step into the unknown, even if it's killing me."

And over time, that kind of staying will not only disrupt your peace, but it can and WILL disrupt you're entire purpose!!! These are the ways it slowly chips away at your soul:

It weakens your discernment! The more you ignore God's nudges, the harder it gets to recognize His voice. Confusion sets in. You start calling dysfunction "loyalty" and pain "purpose."

It dulls your self worth! You start thinking this is ALL YOU DESERVE! That being loved this way, with manipulation, control, or constant disrespect is normal. IT'S NOT!! And it never was!!

It drains your energy! Staying too long in the wrong relationship doesn't just waste time, it totally derails and delays your purpose. You can't fully walk in the shoes you're supposed to be in while you're tied to someone who degrades and demeans you and keeps tearing your spirit down!! STOPPP DOING IT!!!

It breeds bitterness! Because deep down you know you had a way out! You know you had an escape that you almost took, but you went back because it hurt!! Because you didn't wanna face the unknown! Your guilt and fear and need to be comfortable talked you out of it, again! You find SOME WAY to blame yourself "well I did this or that last week, maybe I deserved it," or whatever it is you think you did, and you allow it one more time!!! And if you're not careful that disappointment will turn inward and it WILL start to harden your heart!

God doesn't always rescue us by force. But He does invite us to choose freedom! And when you stay in a place He's already told you to leave (especially when you KNOW you need to), you're not just choosing the person (who maybe isn't a bad person but they're surely toxic), you're rejecting the healing, peace and the better that's already waiting on the other side!

Most of the time you're not walking away because you stop loving them!! No, you walk away because you LOVE YOU MORE!!! And by the way, just because you love someone doesn't make them right for you!!! This is why self love and self esteem are so important!! You walk away because staying is slowly killing you like a thousand papercuts!!! The name calling, the constant belittling, the times you've felt used!! STOPPP IT!!! LEAVE!!! CHOOSE YOURSELF FOR ONCE!!!

This is why I'm constantly saying to be your own friend!! Because if you WERE, you would be able to look at yourself in the mirror and say to yourself, "YOU DON'T DESERVE THIS!" And you would believe it, just as if it was your bestfriend saying those words to you!!!

Stop putting up with unnecessary pain!! MAKE THE VERY HARD DECISION to choose the FACTS OVER FEELINGS!! And the FACTS ARE even with all your mistakes, YOU DON'T DESERVE IT!!

You know that saying, "sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees,"... well sometimes that's how it is!!! Sometimes you're too embedded in survival mode to even see it!!! Listen to the people who love you and begin to trust that THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT!! Not because they want to see you hurting, but because they wanna see you happy and joyful again!!!

If this spoke to you, get out... leave... do whatever you have to do!!! You WILL be ok!! It will get better!! Take your power back and believe in yourself again!!!

ILY❤