Saturday - Brokenness Addressed

 

This morning's Proverbs 31 devotional deals with brokenness.  Something I have had to deal with this week.

Brokenness is never fun, and I guess we don't always know when it's coming.  We may see warning signs, but we never truly know when the enemy will attack us.

For me, it was the separation, space and time between a relationship; it was the South's extreme heat and heat index; and it was personality differences just lying like a cat in the tall grass ready to pounce.

But God.

"He already knew His children would incur wounds in this life. He knew what we eventually discover: In a broken world, with broken people, sometimes we will get cut. I believe this is why God inspired the psalmist to pen the words of Psalm 147:3: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”'

...sometimes, we will get cut.

Brokenness is inevitable it happens, and when it does, there are several important things to keep in mind (in my very humble and not-so-important opinion):  

• Immediately lay it at the foot of the cross - Share with God you brokenness and hurt; cry it out; breathe it out.  He is waiting for you.  Yes, He is all-knowing, but He also knows we need to exhale, and He is waiting for you.
  
  
• Share with your inner circle - And when I say "share," I mean with those you can trust and those you love.  I recently shared my brokennes with my girlfriend "bubble," those I love and trust and can laugh alongside me; prop me up; listen; and also be honest (as one friend said), "No, you are not cuddly." (That's a story for a different time though...LOL)
  
  
• Give yourself and the other person (or maybe the situation) time to go "back to their corner," breathe, and regroup - Giving everyone space and time allows each person to do the above steps - exhale, pray, and seek "counsel and wisdom."
  
  
• Pray again after time and space - After you've cussed, gotten you hurt out, said your words (kind or bitter), go back to the cross and let God know you are ready.  You've owned your part in the situation (if even to yourself so far); acknowledged truthfully what happened; prayed for yourself (change is hard); and prayed specifically for the other side.

God isn't afraid of your prayers.  He's not afraid of who you are.  Remember, in the Bible, several Bible greats of the Old Testament argued and wrestled with Him.  If our greatest Father, Abraham, can stand and argue with an Almighty God, so can we.  Argue with God - TALK to Him.  He is waiting.

In my case, after initial prayers (pleading my viewpoint of course) - counsel and wisdom from friends - and eventually laying it back down at the cross (because I might have picked it up FROM the foot of the cross a time or two...) and praying extremely specifically about the situation, I walked away.

I laid down in bed and said, "God, there is nothing I can do to fix this.  I can fix me, but I can't fully change.  I am who you made me to be.  I will change only with the power of the Holy Spirit and your mighty Hand. I submit myself to you and what you want me to be. I give up this situation and accept it as it is.  Now, where do you want me to go next?  What do you want me to do?  Because if you are closing a door, I want to accept it fully and not fight of my own accord for it.  I want to go where you are telling me to go."  Then, I fell asleep.

"In Psalm 147:3, God is reminding us that His power is unlimited. He is mighty enough to heal all wounds no matter when or how they occurred in our lives. Our pain is not beyond His tremendous power. He is the Great Physician, able to reach into our pasts and heal our souls."

To sum up my personal experience, I woke up in the middle of the night to an e-mail that very specifically answered my prayers.  I was astonished, as that is (1) not how it normally or always works out and (2) that IS how it turned out.

God never fails to amaze me.  Remember that God knows you.  He is waiting for you.  He will heal you - no matter what path He is leading you down.

"The Hebrew meaning for the word “brokenhearted” is defined in relation to the inner person, encompassing the mind, will and emotions. Thus, the psalmist reminds us that God is capable of healing all types of wounds.

If our wounds are physical, He can heal them.
If our wounds are mental, He can heal them.
If our wounds are emotional, He can heal those, too."

Let's wrap our Saturday morning with today's prayer from Proverbs 31:

Dear God, thank You for Your tender care for the brokenhearted. Help me to trust and believe that You are able to heal every place in my life where I have been wounded. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Have a happy and fulfilling Saturday my friends.  As for myself, it is a lawn-cutting morning and then an evening out to see my favorite Elton John tribute band with my small tribe of friends.  I can't wait.

Peace,