The Wound

My experience with physical wounds is limited (I am not referring to illness or medical conditions, but to an actual sore, an opening, a break on a person's body).  When I think of wounds, my mind goes immediately to the bleeding knee of a child who was playing, and fell while running with his friends.  Suddenly, the fun is over, the tears flow and the child needs his mother to embrace him, and to begin dressing and patching up the knee.  The dabs of a wet, cleansing washcloth against the fresh cut and raw skin sting.  The child cringes and squirms, trying to get away from the hands which are there to help and to mend, but mom has a tight grip on her baby.  The disinfectant she uses stings even more.  The child may keep up the struggle, or may choose to surrender.  Mom is strong.  But the part that the child looks forward to the most is getting the band-aid.  The band-aid makes everything better.  It conceals the wound.  It makes it as if the owie wasn't there.  Even better, if it is a colored band-aid, or one with animals, action figures or Disney princesses on it.  Then, it becomes a new focus of attention, and the child cannot wait to show every willing person (and the not so willing ones) this new badge of honor.

I am discovering, in my experience with emotional wounds, that I am not that different from this little child.  Oh, how I long for that band-aid.  Could we just skip over the blood, the stinging, and the hurt?  Why does healing have to be such a process?  Ok, I got hurt, but now, can we just please cover it up and move on?  Not so fast, my child, says my Heavenly Father.  I have so much to show you, to teach you, to offer you in this healing process.  And so, as I cringe, and squirm, and even put up a strong fight some days, with tears and complaints, the Lord keeps his tight grip.  He holds me close to himself.  He caresses my hair.  He soothes me, as He sings over me.  He reminds me that He has good things for those who wait upon Him.  He tells me that is it good that one should bear the yoke in their youth.  He tells me that is is good for me to seek Him.  So as I wait, as I allow the Great Physician to bring healing, and as I accept that it is a slow process, I get to know him.  I feel his gentle touch as He dresses my wound.  I hear his voice as he whispers words of comfort and love into my ear.  I get to know His voice and yearn for it more.  His words take on a new and special meaning, because of my broken heart.  I learn to love to just spend time with him...in those moments, I almost forget about my wound and just soak up His presence.

The Words of the prophet (most likely Jeremiah), from the Old Testament book of Lamentations, go straight to the depths of my wounded soul, and bring me great comfort and encouragement:

18 so I say, "My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord."
19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 
20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.
21  But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
22 The Steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
24"The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."
25The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him;
29 let him put his mouth in the dust - there may yet be hope;
30 let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults.
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever, but though he cause grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
33 for he does not willingly afflict the children of men.