Last night, Clive came home from The Gathering. I had planned to join him to go for drinks beforehand, but the coughing fits from this stubborn phlegm kept me home. When he returned a few hours later, he shared something that caught me off guard.

Apparently, Elias had mentioned receiving 500 systems from Business Blueprint and how, when checking into 1Brain, he noticed the amount of work I’d done. He told Clive I’d done a great job.

The words were kind, but they came from the wrong mouth at the wrong time. Four months ago, Elias ended my contract in favour of a virtual assistant and when my last day arrived there was no formal goodbye, no recognition nor send-off. The silence then spoke louder than any affirmation could now. That dismissal had pierced deeply, fuelling the prayer ministry session last month when I realised rejection, abandonment and self-sabotage were woven into the fabric of this wound.

Hearing praise second-hand only stirred the ache of being unseen in the moment it mattered most. What’s especially painful is that the affirmation came in a way that didn’t allow me to receive it directly, from the person who should have acknowledged my value when it mattered most.

When we’ve been wounded before, it’s not just the event itself that hurts — it’s the echoes that follow, each one whispering the same old lie of “not enough” & "replacable". Even when truth slips in (“you did a great job”) the delivery can sting when it's too little, too late, or if it bypasses the heart that needed to hear it.

This is one of those moments where I imagine the Holy Spirit standing close, not to erase the pain with platitudes, but to steady my breathing so the dagger doesn’t define me.

Because the truth is: my worth isn’t wrapped up in contracts, titles, or someone else’s ability to see me. I'm not defined by who notices me, when they notice, or how they tell me so. It is held in the unshakable hands of the One who never overlooks me. He saw every detail I poured into that work and calls me faithful.

Prayer:

Lord, You know how much I longed to hear those words directly. I release the sting of hearing them second-hand and the ache of being overlooked. Thank You for seeing my labour and loving me beyond my performance. Anchor my worth in You alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.💡

Reflection:

When have I received affirmation too late, and how can I let God’s truth speak louder than the delay? 🤔

Even late praise can be reframed into a testimony when placed in God’s hands. In the Kingdom, nothing is wasted — not the work, not the waiting, and not the words that came sideways.