The Hurt and the Healer
The following blog was contributed by Jessica Wilson, Prayer Office Administrative Assistant:
Have you ever been hurt? I mean really hurt.
A lot of the time this kind of hurt seems to happen when it comes from other Christians, or others who “should know better.” I’m not going to sugarcoat it – it’s really tough to deal with at times.
Recently I was wrestling with the concept of forgiveness, in particular toward an old friend who had hurt me long ago but when confronted, never acknowledged my hurt or apologized. It seemed so wrong that this person had never acknowledged or tried to ‘fix’ the situation. It seemed like they got off scot free! As I prayed and told God about my hurt, I told him how unfair this was. Now, I’m not blind – I get that I have been that person.
I have hurt others, not known about it, and not fixed it.
I have caused others pain that God had to heal. What I didn’t realize before is how truly powerless I am to heal. I can be responsible, kind, and apologetic – and I believe these should be freely given as you are able and aware of your actions hurting another. But while kind words and apologies might comfort, they don’t heal.
After I poured out my heart to God, God poured out revelation on me. God gave me a picture of the friend, whose actions against me I had grieved for so long: The picture was of her shooting me in the leg. In my mind’s eye, I stood there bleeding, aghast, shocked, hurt, and angry. But as I stood bleeding, I began telling the friend that the wound was her fault and to fix my leg. And I felt God asked me, “Why do you keep expecting her to fix you? Can she heal you?”
This shouldn’t be news to anyone but – whether you’ve been shot in the leg or stabbed in the back, you need a DOCTOR, not an apology. The people who have hurt you – what are their names? Are they called Jehovah Rapha – The God who heals? The person who stole from you – is their name Jehovah Jirah – The God who provides? No, their names – the names of those who hurt you and me, are “human.” And humans cannot heal you, Jesus can.
“Fair” and “unfair” are useless concepts in this situation – what matters is “healed” or “not healed”, and I choose to be healed by Jesus. What a privilege that our God is such a healer – healer of hearts, minds, bodies, and souls. So take your hurt to Jesus. It’s not “fair”. It may not seem “right”. But those who have hurt us, on purpose or without realizing it, are helpless in our healing. Let us go to our loving, caring, all-knowing God, who binds up the broken hearted and who has healing in His wings.