When bad things happen, how do we respond? With a woe-is-me attitude? Believing, alas, that we are the victim? Or what if we really are the victim? … do we get angry? … indignant? … or an emboldened “it’s me against the world” mentality?
Truthfully, I can understand that. I just don’t think it’s typically the wisest mentality to cling to so closely.
Note the freeing, contagious example of Michelle Knight…
Michelle Knight, 32, is one of the 3 young women who was kidnapped and trapped in Cleveland for the past 10 years. Her captor, Ariel Castro, reportedly starved and punched Knight until she miscarried during her decade-long ordeal. She suffered such severe beatings while locked up that she actually may need facial reconstruction surgery. Make no mistake about it: she is a victim.
(Alas, woe is me.)
Yet on Monday, Knight together with her kidnapped companions, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, released a video to the public on YouTube. Knight’s words were striking. Even more so was the wisdom that shaped and girded her chosen mentality…
With her voice at times seemingly frail and faltering, the so-called “victim” still amazingly shared the following:
“Thank you everyone for your love, support, and donations, which helped me build a brand new life. I just want everyone to know I’m doing just fine.
I may have been through hell and back, but I am strong enough to walk through hell with a smile on my face, and with my head held high and my feet firmly on the ground. Walking hand in hand with my best friend, I will not let the situation define who I am. I will define the situation.
I don’t want to be consumed by hatred. With that being said, we need to take a leap of faith and know that God is in control. We have been hurt by people, but we need to rely on God as being the judge.
God has a plan for all of us. The plan that He gave me was to help others that have been in the same situations I have been in, to know that there’s someone out there to lean on and to talk to. I’m in control of my own destiny, with the guidance of God.
I have no problem expressing how I feel inside. Be positive, learn that it’s important to give than to receive. Thank you for all your prayers. I’m looking forward to my brand new life. Thank you.”
Michelle Knight doesn’t deny nor dismiss the reality of what happened to her. She also does not blame nor discount the existence of God. In fact, she incredibly still sees God’s plan — and knows it will still somehow be good.
She doesn’t take the law into her own hands. She hasn’t become indignant. And she refuses to justify hate. She won’t give in to the negative. Knight is positive and hopeful. And thus, her message is contagiously inspiring… so much more inspiring than any “alas” or “woe is me.”
Respectfully,
AR