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"Healing Anyone?"

3/21/2017

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I have been thinking (and praying) a lot lately about what it means to be healed.

People seem to have their own ideas about healing and I am no exception.


In our modern world there are mixed opinions, beliefs, ideas and philosophies on the subject of healing.  

Some say that only God has the power to heal, some say we have all that we need inside ourselves for "self-healing."



Some have settled on a combination of these two ideas or simply don't believe that healing is really possible from a personal vantage point that once damaged, always damaged, which most certainly would then "control our lives."


I have considered and wrestled with the secular/humanistic notion that there are techniques and healing powers from within that affects and promotes healing. And, I have also wrestled with the notion that only God heals, and that we have nothing to do with the healing process.  

According to God's Word, Jesus is El Shaddai (the all sufficient one), but it is also very clear throughout scripture that we are designed and intended to fully participate in God's redemptive and transforming work in us. After much soul-searching and studying God's Word, I am at peace with the truth that I have settled on that I have a part in healing process, and it is important for me to be open and transparent without being ambivalent about the reality that God is the ultimate Healer, and so I am intentional about connecting my hurt(s) with the Healer.  

I don't know anyone who has not been damaged in some way. We all have our share of disappointments, wounds, injuries and loss, and some have experienced life-changing abuse, addictions, betrayal and heartache that have severely damaged and scarred them to the point where healing seems impossible and they lose hope and even decide that suicide is the only way out of their pain.

Recently, I asked two intercessory prayer partners to ask God what I should do about a certain idea/situation. All three of us got the same answer in asking God to speak to us about the idea/situation "she needs to heal first." Heal from what I asked? Well, hre's my list . . . disappointments, heartache, betrayals, misunderstandings, mistakes, regrets, loss and breast cancer. How about you? If you were told you need to be healed, what would your list look like?

How do we know when we need a healing?  We don't sleep well and when we sleep we are restless and dream unwelcome/troubling and sometimes strange dreams. We feel anxious, are quick to judge others or quick to anger, we experience sadness, depression, chronic fatigue, are argumentative, nervous, confused or perplexed or even in despair and chaos . . . these are all common symptoms of needing a healing, and if you sat down and made a list, you would come up with other symptoms of your own.  

With God's help  (which I always ask for specifically), I believe with all of my heart that healing is not only possible, but God's will. For me, believing in the reality of healing is part of agreeing with God's plan and purpose for our lives. as stated in Jeremiah 29:11  "For I know the plans I have for you, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."  

When we are sick and in need of healing, the end result is not necessarily physical healing, but a deeper healing that happens inside us that speaks of eternal hope, health and wholeness . . . a healthy mind, body and spirit is what keeps the "damage" from controlling our lives.

In asking God why I was hearing that I needed a healing, the answer was revealed this month, as I faced an "old" issue that needed my attention and I was hurt and deeply damaged by not one but two people I trusted. However, because of my past experiences with being "damaged,  I was quick to seek God's wisdom and grace and He was faithful to bring His healing peace to soothe the wounds and restore me to health and wholeness, as only He can, with my cooperation.  

What would this world be like, if being "damaged" didn't control our lives?


With Faith, Hope and Love,
Angie "a mom like you"
amotherlikeme@gmail.com

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"The Hand of the Lord"

3/20/2017

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"This grief is my greatest need for a deep, personal and abiding relationship with Jesus." - Unknown 

In suffering loss,  I know that the hand of the Lord has been upon me.The goodness and faithfulness of the Lord has encouraged me to stay true to Him and put my trust in Him no matter my life circumstances.

Of course, there have been times, when I have wondered what God was doing and fortunately He has not always answered my prayers the way "I" want Him to, because there have been many times, when I have prayed for what I thought I wanted or needed only to find out I was wrong in how and what I was praying for . . . He has protected me from myself time and time again, for which I am eternally grateful.


As I approach my 70's, I realize more and more that the statement on this post is absolutely true . . . "Those who leave EVERYTHING in God's Hand will EVENTUALLY see God's hand in EVERYTHING!"  Leaving everything in God's hand, including those things that we think that we should control ourselves, is an important calling on our hearts and lives, and I believe that it requires a childlike and stubborn faith. 

As I write this blog today, I am mindful that God watches over me, protects me, teaches me, leads me, guides me, favors me and loves me, and He wants to leave His handprints all over me.  I am also troubled by the hatred and chaos that seems to be so prevalent in this sin-sick world today, and the way people selfishly live their lives with little or no real compassion or genuine concern or love for one another. But, I am also at peace because I know who is in control and as long as I continue to put my hope and trust in Him alone, no matter what is going on in the world, I will be at peace. 

"Then He put His hands on her and immediately she straightened up and praised God." -Luke 13:13
"When we fret, worry and grieve, we wring our hands in perplexity and despair. We ball our hands together and clutch them to our chest." -Unknown.  In sign language, the sign for grief is two closed hands palm to palm, twisting next to the heart.

When we lift our hands in prayer, reach outward to hug someone, hold a baby, pet an animal, give or accept a gift, we open our hands to the comforting and loving hands of God and others. 

Consider laying an open hand on a photo of your beloved child or someone you have loved and lost, and let all the love that you feel for your loved one pour out through your fingertips. Consider opening your hands and your heart to God, He is faithful to comfort us and wants His "handprints all over us!"  

With open hands and heart,
Angie "a mom like you"
amotherlikeme@gmail.com
www.amotherlikeme.info





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It's About Time!

3/14/2017

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As we moved up our clocks this Spring, I found myself reflecting on time.

​Though it seems impossible somehow, our oldest son, Eric, turned 50 years old last December. How can that be? Especially, when I can still so vividly remember him as a baby, a boy, a teenager and a young man?

The older I get, it seems that time is flying by at a very rapid pace, and how I wish that I could turn back the hands of time to relive the precious moments or my life.


Thinking of having a 50 year-old child makes me feel old somehow, but also makes me extremely grateful for the years we have had together, especially when so many parents suffer the loss of babies, toddlers and young children, and we suffered the loss of our youngest son, Kevin, when he was just 28 years old.

As I consider the blessing of having Eric for 50 years, I can't help but think back on the time, when he was 4 and 6 years old and had to have kidney surgery and then that kidney removed due to a birth defect . . . Bob and I were so afraid, and I remember standing at the kitchen sink, looking out at the trees in our backyard wondering how tall this little tree of our's would live to be with only one kidney . . . and I begged God to "extend his days"  and so He has!

We all know that someday we will die, but no matter how long we live, I think we all will want one more day no matter if we are old and worn out. My Dad once said that "cemeteries are filled with those who wished they had more time," and I think that is absolute wisdom.

I have learned that there is no need to imagine, fret or worry about the length of our days, or of those we love. I believe that God intends for us to live each day, as though it is our first, not our last. I also believe that God appoints the time, and when it's time for us to leave this world, it will be the right time.

We celebrate Eric's 50th year and for this Mom, I'm determined not to waste a minute with him, and of course I hope for many, many more years together. One thing I know for sure, one day, we will not be bound by time and until then, I will mark the moments with gratitude and joy.
​
With Faith, Hope and Love,
Angie "a mom like you"
www.amotherlikeme.info
amotherlikeme@gmail.com
​

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    These blog pages are written by and for moms who have suffered the loss of a child.

    May the reflections and expressions of mothers' hearts be a source of comfort, help and encouragement and may you, like these moms, accept God's great exchange as "He gives beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, praise for the spirit of heaviness . . " Isaiah 61:3

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