Hello all, Happy Sunday!
It’s been a while since I’ve written. Between starting the new school year (which I’ll be writing about soon) and getting back into my normal routine back home, I have put writing on the back burner. But not today! For today’s Something for Sundays newsletter, I wanted to talk about healing.
I had an experience this week that deeply triggered something inside of me that brought up events that had happened years ago. It’s like when you have a bruise that is mostly invisible, but when someone touches it, you find it’s - ouch! - still extremely tender. My tender, invisible bruise was touched this week and I did not like that. Time alone does not necessarily heal all wounds.
I felt embarrassed by my healing process. Wasn’t I supposed to be over it by now? Didn’t I let this go? Why was I still holding onto this pain?
My favorite title for Jesus Christ is the Master Healer, and I learned from Terryl and Fiona Givens that a helpful way to look at the concept of sin is to consider it as woundedness. Using this framework has changed a lot of things for me.
For example, if I notice myself being prideful, something I would typically mark off as “sin,” instead of criticizing myself for being prideful or judgemental, I try to look deeper to see what pain my pride and judgments are protecting. There is often an insecure, wounded girl there that desperately needs attention… and healing. Once I open my heart in this way, I find it easier to feel the love of Christ and forgive myself and others for causing harm.
Jesus Christ spent his entire short ministry healing. He healed a variety of people by a variety of means. Reading of people coming to him in multitudes for a chance of healing is heartbreaking. We all need it. We are all searching for it.
So, this week, when I was embarrassed to find a not-quite-healed bruise, I tried to look past the pride and the anger and the regret to find my wound. It was when I was able to admit my woundedness that I felt ready and willing to accept God’s forgiveness and ultimate healing.
I learned an important truth this week: healing isn’t linear. It is not cut-and-dry. It is messy. It is desperately touching the bottom of His clothes. It is God rubbing mud all over your eyes so that you can finally see clearly. It is daring to let go of the pain and anger that has protected you for so long.
I hope this week is full of love and healing.
Thanks for reading,
Kimber