When our heart has been hurt we do something natural…we protect it. And then after protecting it we may even choose to hide it. We create a wall. And we find the heart doesn’t seem to be feeling much better even with those severe measures.
The concept of a physical wound can apply to the heart. A gross but applicable example: I can remember, as a kid, getting a skinned elbow and putting a band aid on it. About a week later I started smelling this odor. I couldn’t figure out where this yuck was coming from. My nose lead me to my elbow! I took my band aid off. The sore was rotten-eww and no better after a weeks time.
It was not exposed to the air . It was not allowed to heal.
When our hearts have been hurt and we put our wall or band aid around it, it simply can’t heal. What does putting a wall around our hearts look like? Well we have all done it. When we have, in the past, revealed our true selves and gotten hurt for it. We "learned" to hide this part of our true self.
As life goes by we tend to have less and less close friendships. In conversations, without realizing it, we with hold parts of our self. We don’t tell people when we have needs. We don’t risk it. We may be encouraged by revealing ourself but we may also be hurt by doing so.
Band aids or walls come in various forms: Alcohol, sex, drugs, food, solitude, or perhaps work…you name it. Oh did I mention good works? We can hide behind self-righteousness.
We don’t want to hurt, who does? So we stay behind our created fortresses but we begin to realize the pain is still behind the wall, right beside us. It is in us, and moving through us. We haven’t been able to escape. The only way for the pain to find its way out is to let it out.
Healing can happen when we will do an unveiling of that pained, fearful heart. What does creating that crack look like? It may start in trusting a piece of paper. Journals have no judgments. Finding someone trusted (a close friend or counselor) to talk to can widen that crack.
Its easy to forget how good it feels to be pain free! Its worth it!
Thanks for your words, Michelle. I’m thankful for you, your friendship and your amazing love for our Lord. Love you.