Anonymous| Shared with permission
I Thought I Had
Let It Go
A Story of Grace
I have had many hurtful relationships throughout my life—problems in my marriage, an adult child I no longer had a relationship with, and the betrayal of a parent.
I thought I had forgiven those people.
I thought I had let go of the feelings of failure, anger, and hurt.
Then I was given Picking Up the Broken Pieces.
At first, I told myself I would just look through it. But I quickly discovered this wasn’t a study I could simply read and put away.
It didn’t just give me Scripture to read. It took me through a process—and asked me to do something I hadn’t really done before.
It gave me the opportunity to tell my side of the experiences in my life, from my point of view.
It took a long time for me to begin writing down the pain and emotions I had tucked deep inside.
I kept thinking, That’s in the past. I’ve already let it go. I don’t need to dredge all of that back up again.
But as I began putting my experiences on paper, I discovered something.
I hadn’t truly let them go.
There were times when I needed to stop, put the study away, and come back to it later.
And that was okay.
As I became more honest with myself and allowed myself to sit with those emotions on paper, I began to see the work I still needed to do.
The beginning of the study was the most difficult part for me.
But I’m glad I stayed with it.
Because I found healing.
If you’re willing to do the work this study guides you through, you may begin to see the broken pieces you’ve tried to hide differently.
For me, it became a place where I could finally be honest about what I was carrying—and allow God into the places I thought I had already dealt with.
I learned that letting go isn’t always the same thing as healing.
Sometimes we have to be willing to pick up the pieces we’ve tucked away long enough to finally see what is still there.
I’m grateful I did.
And I hope this study is as helpful to someone else as it has been for me.
Today’s Reflection
Sometimes we tell ourselves we’ve moved on because the painful season is behind us.
We’ve forgiven. We’ve stopped talking about it. Life continued.
And perhaps we really have released parts of it.
But sometimes something remains tucked away—not demanding our attention every day, but still affecting the way we think, feel, trust, or see ourselves.
Healing doesn’t always mean going back and reliving every painful detail. Sometimes it simply begins with being willing to ask:
Is there anything here that still needs my attention?
There is no shame in discovering the answer is yes.
Sometimes recognizing what remains is the very thing that allows deeper healing to begin.
Today’s Affirmation
I can be honest about what still hurts.
I do not have to rush the process.
I can pause when I need to and return when I am ready.
I trust God to meet me in the places I am finally willing to see.
Pause & Reflect
Is there something from your past you’ve told yourself you have already dealt with, yet it still seems to surface in unexpected ways?
What feelings come up when you consider looking at that part of your story again?
What would it look like to approach it with curiosity and compassion rather than judgment?
Is there a place where you sense God gently inviting you toward greater honesty or healing?
Continue Along the Way
If this story feels familiar, you don’t have to uncover everything at once.
You may simply begin by noticing.
Write down what surfaced as you read this story. Sit with one memory. Name one feeling you’ve had difficulty acknowledging. Pray about the place that still feels tender.
And if you reach something that feels too difficult to carry alone, reaching out to a trusted person or qualified professional can also be part of caring for yourself well.
If you’re ready for a more guided process, Picking Up the Broken Pieces was created to provide space for this kind of honest reflection—slowly, thoughtfully, and one piece at a time.
There is no deadline for healing.
You can pause.
You can take your time.
And when you’re ready, you can begin again.
