Wounded

Wow! I never realized how many deep wounds I have and the need I have for healing. Wounds of all different kinds: big ones, little ones, old ones, new ones and very deep ones. I know that wounds surface for a reason. God doesn’t want us to stay wounded. He wants to heal, restore us and cause something very beautiful to come from them.

It is so easy to bury our wounds because we don’t want to deal with them. They can be so hurtful, some even unbearable, that we often act like they don’t exist. We avoid dealing with them at all cost. But God does want to deal with them! He will not go there, however, unless we allow Him to. For those of us who are moms, we know how traumatic it can be when one of our babies gets a horrible owie. Not only is the owie traumatic, having that wound cleaned out can be just as painful for our child. Even though there are many tears and pleas to stop, we finish cleaning the wound because it is necessary. Healing isn’t always instantaneous either. It may take several days to heal, which often means more cleansing and band-aids. There are also wounds on a grander scale, like when someone has been in a terrible accident of some kind. Some of those wounds take years to heal. It is very long and painful process to get there, but there is nothing like being whole again.

I really believe that God has been exposing areas in my life that are in need of healing. I don’t mind addressing the small ones, but the deep ones are extremely hard for me to deal with. In fact, some of them have been so deep that I didn’t even realize that they were there. Some, I never even viewed as wounds. God has been showing me that they are there, that they really affect my attitude, how I respond to certain situations, how I view others, myself and Him. As these wounds are brought to the surface, I’ve also come to realize how many times I have wounded others. This reality is just as painful to deal with. The wounds I’ve endured and the ones I’ve caused are not easy to deal with. However, I am so grateful that God is the healer and that He can be trusted. He knows me better than I know myself and knows exactly what I need. He not only is an incredible Daddy, He is also the best doctor there is.

I grew up in a tradition that was big on physical healing. I have personally seen God do some amazing things in very sick people. Complete miracles and answers to prayer! God is good, but His healing doesn’t stop there or even start there. For several months now, Isaiah 61:1-3 has been a passage that I’ve really been meditating on. (Even before I started this blog, which is where the phrase “beauty for ashes” comes from, and completing the study “Captivating,” which is key scripture used in that book). In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus quotes this passage, declaring why it is that He came. Isaiah writes:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.”

This is healing! This is why He came! This isn’t for later but for right now. God sees wounds that aren’t just physical that everybody else can see. He sees wounds that go far deeper, where no one else can see. He wants to heal the hurts and give gladness instead of mourning. His desire is to replace those ashes with a crown of beauty. That is my prayer not only for myself but for others as well. I hope you will let Him. He can be trusted and will bring something very beautiful from it!