Healing is hard. Yep, I've said it ! Sharing from my own journey as we seek to overcome and find strength in our struggles...
Healing is hard. Yep, I've said it! While I do believe God is a miracle worker and longs to heal, healing is often a journey. And a journey like anything is a process. And i think we need more #realtalk in christian circles on how to navigate this well. So, hear are a few thoughts, processes and reflections from my own journey that may speak into yours.
1. Release your breath baby girl, give yourself the GIFT that healing IS a journey. And that's okay!
In my context, God has been soooo kind to allow for transformation of things that I have tightly held onto over time. Imagine the analogy of climbing a mountain, going round and round but every time escalating higher. While it may seem like you aren't making progress in 'the climb', you actually are. All you need is a higher perspective! I think God in His wisdom and kindness partners with us through the comfort, revelation and strength of the Holy Spirit to work on one area at a time. To release us back into wholeness and freedom of our original design. For me, this has involved looking at some of the spiritual bonds & agreements I have made in the past, and working to understand where God was in these moments. And step forwards into greater freedom. Repenting where necessary. Working on process of forgiveness. And starting to align my dreams and desires with God to begin and dream again.
2. When you feel like you just can't pray, partner with the holy Spirit
Romans 8:26 paints a beautiful picture of the Spirit interceding for us when our groans and spiritual burdens are too hard to bear. Darling, if that's you encouraging you to find comfort and revelation in these words: Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. (The Message Translation)
3. Community Matters. Find safe people and spaces for belonging
The data shows you don't often need a whole tribe, but a few people that you feel "safe" to be seen, heard and tell your story. Judgement free. Try and identify these people in your world, and be intentional about investing in each others lives and spiritual journey. Like a flower, friendships and trust also need time to bloom so be okay with not rushing the process. Being emotionally safe with other people means we feel internally comfortable/relaxed...we are able to still have boundaries in place (i.e. know where our stuff starts and ends) but feel like you can share openly and vulnerably from the wisest part of yourself.
4. Let worship be your weapon
Our words have power. So does our worship. For me, worship is a way to change the atmosphere around me instantly, shift my perspective from my circumstances (and self focus) and put my gaze on the eternal. I am so incredibly grateful to live in an era where the sound of worship goes around the world so easily, and we have amazing creative communities committed to bringing sounds from Heaven to us. There is comfort in words, prayers, praises of our lyrical brothers and sisters. And authority too! As we start to speak what our 'inner man' (or woman!) truly believes.
5. Take responsibility for your health & well being; mind, body, soul and strength
Repeat after me - self care is not selfish! Having needs does not make you needy! Part of maturity is recognising the internal signs of overwhelm or overload, and do the work to bring yourself back into balance. God made our bodies and I believe celebrates them! Try every day to move your body in a way that is nourishing and life giving. 80/20 rule to put good, nourishing nutrients into your body. Find healthy tools & mechanisms for soul care such as worship, prayer, movement, journaling, gratitude practice etc. Tune into your inner voice and dialogue, and notice what it says. Would you speak to a girlfriend the way you speak to yourself? Most of the time I think not! While God may correct us and lead us, I also believe God's voice is never the voice of shame or condemnation, but always invites us back into revelation and truth.
6. Declare Godly Truth
Our words have power. Just like God spoke and creation was birthed, we are made in His image and have power of life & death in our tongue. This has been an absolute gamechanger as I have started to actively speak promises of God over my heart and life as a morning and evening routine. Select passages of scripture that have come alive for you. Stick them on a wall, mirror and memorise them to start to embed them deep down in your soul. This process starts to actively renew our minds, by replacing what we might (or might not) see in the natural with unshakeable truth. There is so much beauty to be found in God's word that His Spirit is ready to make personally alive and relevant to you, or get started with our "I AM" declarations here
7. Finally, hold onto hope.
You are worthy. Infinitely worthy. Someone loved you so much as to give you the gift of the heart that is beating right now. And chances are you are doing better than you expect. God doesn't expect perfection, just raw, messy hearts that are honestly seeking after Him. And remember beautiful:
Relax, everything's going to be all right; rest, everything's coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way! Jude 1:2
Comments