Today my family found itself in the waiting room of the hospital emergency department. As it turned out our son had broken his arm falling off the monkey bars in our backyard. He required an x-ray, and then a cast was put on his right arm. It was all quite overwhelming for him at the time, but he’s doing OK now after a lot of TLC.
Everyone in the waiting room had experienced some kind of pain that day. There was a young girl with her leg bandaged up, hopping from place to place looking glum. There was the 20-something guy who was wheeled through the hospital, wound gaping, after a bungee accident. Then there was the elderly gentleman who’d possibly had a fall. His forehead was grazed and he nursed a nasty gash on his forearm.
It was confronting to observe so many injuries in the one room.
It made me think about the injuries of the heart that often go unnoticed. What if ours were suddenly visible for all to see? How would people react? It’s hard to cover up a gaping flesh wound, but it’s easy to pretend the wounds of our heart aren’t there. And we do pretend, many of us… Maybe we don’t always want to deal with them. Maybe it’s easier to ignore them, and hope they go away. But these wounds are just as real, and just as needy of attention.
Lord, reveal those areas in us that need your loving touch and healing hands. I pray your love would shine into the darkness and shame and show up the scar tissue. Jesus – you alone are capable of softening the hardest heart and taking us on the difficult but worthwhile road to recovery. You alone are enough for us – the walking wounded. You are The Great Physician.
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (I Peter 5:10 ESV)
It's a God thing... 
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