What do you think of, when you think of healing? Warmth, comfort, improvement….. Mom?
Merriam-Webster defines it as
1 a : to make sound or whole <heal a wound> b : to restore to health
2 a : to cause (an undesirable condition) to be overcome : mend — b : to patch up (a breach or division) <heal a breach between friends>
3 : to restore to original purity or integrity <healed of sin>
I want to share with you the BIGGEST concept I took away from this past weekend at the Beth Moore conference.
Without going into too much detail, her topic this weekend was family, biological and spiritual. At one point, she was speaking about “family calamity” and how the calamity that comes upon our families as a consequence of one’s actions can really complicate things.
She talked about the fact that the Lord uses other people to knock off our rough edges. Whether we are the person being chastened or not, we can still feel the consequences. Am I making sense? Like the ripples I’ve talked about. When someone in the family (spiritual or family of origin) is in habitual sin, it touches those around them, like ripples in a pond after you throw the stone in. It can rock your world, even though you aren’t the one that is the cause of the ripple (or the one experiencing the consequences).
Then, she took us through the passage in Hebrews 12 that says:
For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
“ My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
Verses 12 and 13 jumped out at me. Recently, Mr. OverKill and I have been encouraging a friend through something very difficult that is going on in their life. It has been one of the hardest things I have had to deal with. The Lord has been teaching me so much through all of this. Sadly though, I was pretty much to the point that I wished we had never gotten involved, even in the small way that we are. These verses renewed my strength and encouraged my soul! These things we are walking through are going to bring healing! Healing to what is lame…what is tired and feeble, He is going to bring healing if I keep on!
I know some of you are saying, “Duh Frazzled Mama, you are always preaching at us how ‘All things work together for good to those who love him.’ What’s so new about this?”
Well, for me it just clicked. We aren’t just going to make it through by the hair on our chinny chin chin. We aren’t going to go through tough times and then one day in the far off future see the good in it. He is using these things to heal us! He is making me sound and whole. He is helping me overcome. He is restoring me to integrity, and eventually to my original purity, that purity that was found in Eve.
I guess I just never equated “good” with “healing,” you know?