The Healing Process

…I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.

Jeremiah 33:6 NIV

Ever tripped or been pushed down? If you made contact with something hard like concrete or pavement, you probably ended up with a bloody painful gash.

First, came the washing, medicating, and bandaging. Hopefully, someone else gently helped with this procedure. Then, after some tender loving care, healing began and a scab formed. Sometimes, in the process of this healing, the area might become itchy. Without even realizing it, you inadvertently scratched that scab right off.

Ugh. The open wound again may have brought some dismay. But, then, as you examine it further, you notice the original injury not quite as large as in the beginning. Healing has already started taking place.

Emotional wounds can act in the same way. A trauma happens which causes injury and pain. God’s guidance, good friends, encouraging music, counseling, and other strategies help as we navigate the emotional hurt.   

Once in a while, something or someone may trigger old feelings and our emotional wound gets exposed once again. This exposure leaves us feeling vulnerable and raw. If we are not careful, we may wallow around in that state and not realize how far God has bought us.

We may also find ourselves unwilling to take the next steps to continue our recovery journey, but continue we must. Our pain is real, but as we reach out to Him, God lovingly starts right where we are and carries us through. Just like in physical healing, we discover, surprisingly or not, our heart hurt not to be quite so all-encompassing as in the beginning.

Hallelujah, praise be to God our Father for his tender loving care. He is the source of our healing.

Susan Partida