Hurt to Heal

 

Jasmine shares her heart with me from time to time. She's been married about the same amount of time as me and appreciates my honesty about the ups and downs of the aforementioned constitution. 

Most people know that I have struggled to survive in my relationships, not only to survive, but also to thrive. I have "metamorphosised" one could say. Still...I am not a butterfly, tho my wings are finally unfolding.

I read in my Bible this morning about Jesus' teaching on 'who is my neighbor?' Put another way... 'Who should I care about?' Jesus answer... paraphrased of course...(The one who comes to where you are. The one who sees you wounded and hurt and left alone. The one who has compassion and is moved to doing practical things like feeding and putting on salve, and giving drink. The one who cleans the wound and binds it up. The one who prays for the work done.) If you do all this you are being aware of who and what your response is to loving God and loving others. And ultimately, eternal life.

Back to Jasmine. Her trust is gone. Promises are broken. He quit caring and saying yes to her wishes and is doing his own thing. She gets to choose what to do with this. The hurt is so deep; she can't see a way through.

Tammy . Another situation. The "thing" and "story book version" this one planned and dreamed for turned out almost opposite from the desire. Disappointment turns to hurt and replays of hurt run circles in her head and heart. After awhile the hurt becomes a habit if it's not admitted to God for healing and forgiveness.

Tabitha: This one also has been wooed, pursued, and won to marrying 'the love of her life'. Dating was a whirlwind with no doubts. All was wonderful. Until it wasn't.  Past wounds got triggered. Suddenly communicating love to each other became daggers of wrong words and angry explosions. 

This is where my metamorphosis began. Coming to where the hurt is. Sitting with the hurt. Seeing it but never to give it wind. The purpose: to do the thing that's right in front of you. Boldly. Actively. Silently in prayer. Lifting the hurt to Jesus. This is salve and balm. I can't be the Healer, but Jesus can through me if I'm willing to be used to bind the wounds and pray the hurt into heaven.

These three plus my own, all have this in common.  The invitation to hurt. The invitation to dwell in hurt. To dwell on the pain. To keep picking at it. Keep the wound open. Stay aware of what's not right and make others aware. Invitation to chaos, confusion, and destruction. 

Or...

The invitation to finding how to dwell/abide in Jesus. To learn of Him. To love Him. Because you can't love others good enough if you don't know the love of God. An invitation to being healed and forgiven and walking in confidence under His wings. And after that, an invitation to going to where the pain is, seeing the need, and to being filled with Christ's compassion, able to sit with them in their struggle and lift them to the throne of grace.

*names have been changed because I love the people God gives me to pray for and listen to.