Episode 17: Healing

Healing. Though I am far from an expert on the matter, I do have experience here. Healing. There’s an ‘ing’ at the end because it’s present tense - still in process, and will be for anyone willing and ready to walk this road. Defined, healing is: the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again. I found another source that described healing in a Biblical sense, saying: Healing occurs through the integrating forces that restore, transform, sustain and nurture the whole person (body, mind, spirit) at each phase and in every dimension of life, and within relationships of the person to the creation, to other people, and to God. I believe the work of counselors and therapists is a wonderful thing. However, I will add that true healing must come from God. And a good counselor is always going to point you to God’s design and use Biblical principles. I’ve mentioned resources my husband and I have used for counseling, not for any outstanding issues, but rather to help us navigate marriage in the music industry. A few years ago, because of crazy schedules and seemingly NO time together, I decided a marriage retreat would be a good idea. I was so excited to dig in and have a few days with Shay working on our hearts. Not only that, but I was excited to hear an outside perspective on our lives and responses. It was actually called an ‘intensive’ week and by the time we finished, I understood why! I won’t go into too much detail, but by the time we came out, I think my husband felt better and I was left in shock at the “chronic trauma” we had uncovered from my past. That was the exact wording used… “chronic trauma”. I couldn’t believe it. Me? With my easy going, calm demeanor? Me? With my fresh-air, idyllic country childhood? Surely not. What’s funny to me now is that I think a lot of people are probably like this! Walking around thinking we are absolutely fine. Nothing to see here! I’m fine. Everything’s fine. But under the surface, there are layers. These layers could look like years of rejection, shame, grief, loneliness, unkindness, exclusion…the list goes on and on. Apparently, my coping mechanism had become numbing. I was (and still can be) very good at compartmentalizing feelings or incidents. I would just turn them off completely and carry on with life. Coping mechanisms may look different for everyone though…in fact, there are so many ways to escape feelings. I would even say that coping often manifests through our behaviors. It could look like escaping through alcohol or substances. Oftentimes, though, it can be a lot more subtle… it could look like binging shows or movies at night just so you don’t have to think. It could look like excessive video gaming. It could look like staying in a continuous cycle of dating and relationships to keep your attention from focusing on your own heart rather than pursuing someone else’s. It could even look like an extravagant social life or working to the point of being a workaholic. All of these behaviors could point to deeper issues that say “I’m coping”. I’m not saying these behaviors always point to outstanding issues. But I am saying, these things can all be indicators that there’s more going on. And there’s work to be done. In this episode, I share personal experiences with healing & describe steps towards reaching it. Today, my prayer is that this lands on hearts ready to heal. I pray you take the first steps towards whole restoration. Acknowledge the need for healing. Invite God in. Be vulnerable enough to go back to painful things. Identify the lie. Reject it. And replace it with the truth of God’s word. I pray you’ll show yourself grace as you begin… And I know, without doubt, God has the freedom of peace on the other side. (Below is a link to a wonderful resource on restoration of the feminine heart)! Captivating Expanded Edition: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul https://a.co/d/ijXfSYN