The meaning of healing according to Merriam-Webster.com is to make sound or whole; to restore to health, to cause (an undesirable condition) to be overcome: mend; "the troubles...had not been forgotten, but they had been healed" William Power.
The quote in the last part of that definition really stood out to me today as I contemplated the word healing. I have recently been recovering from yet another surgery (hopefully the last) related to my endometriosis. I was down for 4 weeks instead of the 1 that was expected and I am still dealing with lingering issues from the complications of this surgery. When I sat down to decide how to write this new blog post and especially after reading the definition of healing, I was struck with how very appropriate this definition is for not only the last 4 weeks of my recovery, but for the last 6 years of my life and all the healing, both physically and emotionally, that I have had to face with infertility. We are taught and encouraged to "heal" and move on with things. We are allowed to mourn, but we are told "buck up," "deal with it," "get over it," and the always fun "it's okay to mourn, but you have to move on eventually." I often think that we push people to heal too quickly and in doing this we do not allow them to truly process what it is they are recovering from. Do emotional wounds really heal? After the physical damage or initial trauma has passed can you really move on? Do you ever recover from being told you can't have children? Do you ever recover from losing a baby? Do you ever recover from not being able to reach a dream that you have dreamed since childhood of having a big family? Do you ever recover from the heartbreak of having to explain to your child why they don't have any siblings? Do you ever recover from watching people who can't provide for the children they have, have child after child while you sit back and try with no results? Maybe the above definition answers this: the troubles had not been forgotten, but they had been healed. I am not saying we live in self-pity, bitterness, or constant turmoil, but maybe we do heal and never forget. Now, this is where I really want to challenge you (and me), maybe that not forgetting part is the reason that we grow? Maybe you wouldn't be the person you are or I wouldn't be the person I am without having to heal from all the things we have experienced. The Bible also speaks to this in Romans 5:3 3 but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. My very wise Father recently reminded that nothing in our life goes to waste, all of your experiences both good and bad have prepared you for what you are facing. I encourage you today to know that it is okay for your troubles to not be forgotten. Healing is truly a journey. I pray you can learn from the long, bumpy and unpredictable ride.
****I would love to hear from each of you, please e-mail me at currinfamily@cox.net with your pray requests, stories of healing, infertility, miscarriage, serious health conditions etc. I would also ask that you include what has been or would be the most helpful thing(s) that people can or have done to help you in your healing. Thanks in advance for sharing!****
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