Honestly, I have fought and labored over this subject for years. I have tried time and time again, to little or no avail, to write about pain, brokenness, and hope. Each time I started the words seemed to vanish. In exasperation, I once said that perhaps I needed to stop trying, perhaps it was time to give up but then I thought maybe my feeble attempt would help someone else. Why? The answer is a simple one really. I want to encourage others. I want for others to see, to know, and to understand that in the midst of the storms, when the waves reach to the sky that God has not abandoned them. God is faithful and he will bring you through the waters, through the fire, through the valleys. The sun will once again dawn and shine out all the brighter. If you are a Christian then hope is not lost because in Christ we are never without hope. God promised that he would never leave us or forsake us and he is true to his promises. We all deal with heart ache and brokenness yet if you are anything like me then you internalize the pain. You try to hide the scars and the wounds hoping no one sees yet you long to be made whole, to be loved, and to be accepted. Please don't just internalize it, take it to God.
Brokenness... We seek in various ways to hide it, most often we paper over our pain with pale imitations of a smile. We wear masks of “I'm okay” when everything is far from okay. Somewhere along the way we learned, even with other Christians, that it isn't okay to be anything other than okay. We hide the pain, the heartache, and the brokenness that we were never meant to carry alone. We bury it deep and eventually the layers, the masks, cover over the truth until we have forgotten the wounds, at least for a time. Then one day something happens, we might be in the middle of a conversation, deep in thought, driving down the road, or a million other things and suddenly the pain comes rushing back up and the blow leaves us reeling, confused, and frustrated. We no longer remember clearly the wounds or what is causing our pain. Most of us try desperately to cover up the pain never seeking help or healing because we no longer remember why we hurt or we don't want to deal with our messy past. Perhaps we are afraid if others see us for the wounded people we are that they will abandon us, leaving us with new injuries. We often forget everyone fights a battle, every has scars. The funny thing about lies, whether we them take in or perpetuate them, is that after a while we no longer remember the truth.
There comes a time when you and I must face what is broken. There comes a time when we must be painfully honest because until we are willing to face the truth and have love, grace, and mercy meet with us, how can we ever be made whole? Isn't that what we all long for, to be whole? The wounds that we try so desperately to hide from the world and even from ourselves don't just disappear because we refuse to acknowledge them. The wounds that run deep will not be healed by a band-aid and cannot be ignored though we might try to do just that. Perhaps the scars and wounds you bear were caused by careless words, thoughtless actions, by an impression, or by something far darker and more sinister. Perhaps the pain you try to deny was caused by cruel hands that ripped away something you held dear. The only sure way I have found with dealing with my past is by being honest with the one who knows me best, he knows it all anyway, addressing how I am thinking, and being vulnerable with a few trusted people who support and pray for me. I have throughout my life believed so many lies about myself and that trickled over into what I believed about my God but that is changing, with the help of God the brokenness, the strongholds, the lies, all of it is changing. I hope and pray that you will face, with the help of God, whatever brokenness there is in your life. With the Lord there is hope, there is healing, there is restoration, there is forgiveness, there is freedom, and there is peace. Trust him.
Brokenness... We seek in various ways to hide it, most often we paper over our pain with pale imitations of a smile. We wear masks of “I'm okay” when everything is far from okay. Somewhere along the way we learned, even with other Christians, that it isn't okay to be anything other than okay. We hide the pain, the heartache, and the brokenness that we were never meant to carry alone. We bury it deep and eventually the layers, the masks, cover over the truth until we have forgotten the wounds, at least for a time. Then one day something happens, we might be in the middle of a conversation, deep in thought, driving down the road, or a million other things and suddenly the pain comes rushing back up and the blow leaves us reeling, confused, and frustrated. We no longer remember clearly the wounds or what is causing our pain. Most of us try desperately to cover up the pain never seeking help or healing because we no longer remember why we hurt or we don't want to deal with our messy past. Perhaps we are afraid if others see us for the wounded people we are that they will abandon us, leaving us with new injuries. We often forget everyone fights a battle, every has scars. The funny thing about lies, whether we them take in or perpetuate them, is that after a while we no longer remember the truth.
There comes a time when you and I must face what is broken. There comes a time when we must be painfully honest because until we are willing to face the truth and have love, grace, and mercy meet with us, how can we ever be made whole? Isn't that what we all long for, to be whole? The wounds that we try so desperately to hide from the world and even from ourselves don't just disappear because we refuse to acknowledge them. The wounds that run deep will not be healed by a band-aid and cannot be ignored though we might try to do just that. Perhaps the scars and wounds you bear were caused by careless words, thoughtless actions, by an impression, or by something far darker and more sinister. Perhaps the pain you try to deny was caused by cruel hands that ripped away something you held dear. The only sure way I have found with dealing with my past is by being honest with the one who knows me best, he knows it all anyway, addressing how I am thinking, and being vulnerable with a few trusted people who support and pray for me. I have throughout my life believed so many lies about myself and that trickled over into what I believed about my God but that is changing, with the help of God the brokenness, the strongholds, the lies, all of it is changing. I hope and pray that you will face, with the help of God, whatever brokenness there is in your life. With the Lord there is hope, there is healing, there is restoration, there is forgiveness, there is freedom, and there is peace. Trust him.
