Stepping Over Our Wounds
Sometimes we have to “step over” our anger, our jealousy, or our feelings of rejection and move on. The temptation is to get stuck in our negative emotions, poking around in them as if we belong there. Then we become the “offended one,” “the forgotten one,” or the “discarded one.”
Yes, we can get attached to these negative identities and even take morbid pleasure in them. It might be good to have a look at these dark feelings and explore where they come from, but there comes a moment to step over them, leave them behind and travel on.
—Dennis Kinslaw
This Day with the Master
God’s word declares, The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). The word also teaches that God comforts us in our brokenness so that we might, in turn, comfort others (see 2 Cor. 1:3-5). In his classical pastoral care book The Wounded Healer, Nouwen expresses this as “healers working from their own wounds and weaknesses.” Perhaps you’ve heard someone say, ‘Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” While the exact phrase isn’t explicitly stated in the Bible, the concept is very much aligned with biblical teachings, particularly Romans 5:3-5, which talks about how suffering can produce perseverance, character, and hope, essentially implying that overcoming trials can make you stronger in faith and spirit. What we can be certain of is that as we get more in touch with our own woundedness and pain, we can begin to understand the suffering that underlies all of humanity, and we grow in compassion from that vulnerability. Wherever you find yourself today, God can—and will—make the most of it, if you let Him. He’s not done with you yet. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics