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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