Worken it out!

Crape Mertal, St Scholastica 

Woke up this morning a little sore in my back, which doesn't surprise me after the amount of dirt we moved around yesterday. In all honesty, I thought I would be sorer. So I'm thankful I can even move! Doing some stretches will help work out the soreness and since I have to work at the Creek, I'm sure I will come home this evening and plop on the couch and veg. Now that I think about it, working out soreness is like working through our healing. 

How many times have you heard or said these words. "Time heals". Well, it may help, but time is not what is doing the healing, if it were we would all be sitting around waiting for time to pass so we would feel better. Wooo, how many times have you found yourself sitting around waiting to feel better? How's that working for you? When we're hurt physically and bleeding on the floor, do we just sit there and wait for it to stop? I don't think so! We go and stick whatever is bleeding in the sink and wash it off. We take steps to stop the bleeding and to start the healing. So why is it when we're hurt spiritually or emotionally that we just sit there and wait. We bleed out on the floor and basically make a huge mess that we hope someone else will come along and clean up. (I am speaking from experience, so if this is poking you in the eye, you better talk to Jesus about it!)

Preacher man and I use to work at an editable oil refinery in Kansas. We worked around and with some pretty nasty chemicals that could eat your skin off your bones. Let me just say, you had to watch out for not only yourself, but others. One night I was working and I broke a glass instrument that I was working with. It cut my left wrist some, so guess what I did? I went to the sink and I took steps to stop the bleeding and start the healing. I went home and found that the pain was growing in my wrist to the point that when I got up the next morning, I could not wash my hair because of the pain. So I went to the doctor and they found a piece of glass lodged next to the nerves that work my ring finger and middle finger. Had I really taken the steps I should have taken to insure that healing was taking place? No! Because if I had it would have included making an accident report which would have gotten a manager involved and I would have gone to the doctor sooner. But I tried to be tuff and ignore the pain, hoping it would go away, as I bled out on the floor. 

So why do we stay in those relationships that are eating our soul up? Why do we do things to our bodies that aren't healthy? In response to the pain we feel, we sit in our own blood waiting for someone to come along and fix it. We don't even take the time to look up and see who is standing above, with his hand out to lift us up out of our pit of self hurt. I read Psalm 103 this morning and here's what smacked me in the forehead.

Bless Yahweh, my soul, bless his holy name, all that is in me!

Bless Yahweh, my soul, and remember all his kindnesses:

in forgiving all your offenses,

in curing all your diseases,

in redeeming your life from the Pit,

in crowning you with love and tenderness, 

in filling your years with prosperity, 

in renewing your youth like an eagle's.

If we ask, He forgives. If we ask, He redeems. When we ask, He fills us and renews us and we start taking steps to stop the bleeding and start the healing. Henri Nouwen says it this way:

 "Time heals" implies not passively waiting but actively working with our pain and trusting in the possibility of forgiveness and reconciliation.

 Trusting. Taking steps and knowing that Jesus will show up! This is huge for me this morning on so many levels. Not only has God done it for me, He continues to heal me and you know what, he will keep on doing it in the future. Know how I know this? Cuz His word says so! I trust in that Word, cuz I took a step one time, and He was there and He lifted me out of my Pit and redeemed me. He did it then, He's doing it now! Dang! Lord, you rock my world!