better than bacitracin

Today was the big day: that epic day on which you took the training wheels off your child's bike.

Hours ago they were a terrified novice, pleading that you run with them and hold on so they don't fall. For an hour or so, you were convinced you'd be in marathon shape by day's end.

But that was this morning.  
A mere 3 hours later they are practically a professional cyclist, so proud and confident as they [repeatedly] exclaim "I did it all by myself!!!" 

As dinnertime approaches you give the dreaded 5-minute warning. They take off on another trek down the sidewalk, their little legs peddling faster than ever, eager to use up every last second afforded for their newest talent. As they pick up speed, you begin to see reality unfolding in what seems to be slow motion... Their little legs are flying faster than they can handle. Before anything can be done to stop them they lose control.Their bike crashes to the ground and their body meets the pavement.

Blood and tears are flowing.

Your heart is moved with love and compassion as you run to them.

All you want in that moment is to make it all better.

(I'm sure we all wish that hugs and kisses and a Toy Story Band-aid would be enough to heal them... but more is needed...)

And so you carry them inside. You turn on the faucet and as gently as possible you begin to wash their wounds. Their cries intensify as they feel the sting of the soapy water in their wound. They wince and shriek as your fingers carefully brush over their freshly opened skin. They wiggle and kick their legs and with tear-filled eyes look at you as though they've lost all trust in you.

But in this moment you are not insecure as a parent. You know you need to get that debris out of that wound to keep your child free from infection. You know that proper care will result in a proper healing.

It's been a while since I've sat down to blog out of my desire to write. I'm sure this comes as no surprise to anyone out there who considers his or herself to be a faithful follower of this blog (& if there are any such readers, I am humbled, and I thank you). Thanks for hanging in there.

It is hard to even put into words the changes that have take place in my life in the past 6 months, the past year, the past several years really... God has been doing some deep healing inside of me, and sometimes during those seasons of healing you just have to shut up. Stop typing, stop talking about it, halt the distractions and let God do what He wants to do.

Sometimes what God wants to do in us takes a long time. I'm sure there are times when that's how He wants to do it. But personally in my own life I've found that I tend to prolong the process of healing (and consequently, growth) by refusing to let Him address my wounds. I often to  s  t  r  e  t  c  h  it out longer than God would have intended.

People often say that "time heals". I disagree!

I do believe that time is an agent the Lord uses in healing. But in and of itself time doesn't heal anybody. 

Why else would there be so many broken people in this world and even in the body of Christ? Many of us have spent a great deal of energy and years trying to bandage and camoflage our own wounds. I know I did. We exhaust ourselves trying to just patch things up and move on... but sometimes to move forward we need to first let God take us back and address the wounds that have infected us for so long.

Maybe you are broken- stuck in a cycle of sin, shame, fear, guilt, abuse, destructive thoughts or behavior. Know that there is hope for you! God longs to reveal Himself as your healer! He wants to heal you and set you free from your past once and for all.

If you're willing to go there with God, to let Him touch those tender and broken places from your past and present, you can be sure that there will be some painful, tear-filled moments. Sometimes even His kindest touch may feel abrasive as He purifies you deep down. There may be moments when you are tempted to question whether or not He really knows what He is doing. But even when you doubt Him, God is a secure parent and He is more committed to your healing than you could ever be. The best thing we can do is let go of control and let Him do His thing.

I can assure you from my own experience: whatever it takes for you to be healed, it is worth it. The end result is freedom from the bondage of brokenness. Freedom to be YOU and to experience true joy. Freedom to love and pray for those who caused you pain. Freedom to live and walk in Truth.

I pray for every person that reads this post, that God would reveal to you any areas in your life where He wants to bring healing and restoration. I pray also that you would rest in His sufficient grace as He begins to bring buried and infected wounds to the surface. I pray that you would persevere to see the work through to completion.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

-Ephesians 3:16-19

Amen & amen.

*megan