Heal the Wounds

Point of Grace (music artist) have a song titled "Heal the Wounds"
The chorus goes like this...
Heal the wounds, but leave the scars,
A reminder of how merciful You are.
I am broken, torn apart
take the pieces of my heart
and Heal the wounds but leave the scars....

We all have battle wounds. Some are self inflicted. Some inflicted by others. Yet some are accidents. But we all share wounds.

Some of us are able to learn from our wounds, our mistakes. We can take the wound, reflect, pray, seek guidance, have a pow wow with a trusted friend. We can then turn a different direction and not go back to that place. But we will have the scars to remind us of what we have been through.

Some of us gather wounds along the way, and keep going back to get that same wound. These scars are deeper. They reflect more than the wound that happened. They reflect the deeper wounds that inflect our fallen world. Things like drug use, aclohol abuse, physical and emotional abuse...the list can go on. These wounds are because of past hurts that need to be covered up. Yet often cause more wounds that we ever imagine.

How about the wounds that dear children suffer at the hand of their parents/caregivers?  These are life long wounds. Some choose to learn from them, some choose to continue the wounds. Making them deeper, and leaving bigger scars.

May we remember to show love to children with wounds that are bigger than we are. May they view their scars of God's infinite mercy. His mercy prevails...

Devotion for Adoptive/foster parents

Romans 5:5 And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us His love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.

Have you ever poured out love, compassion and much energy into someone, only to have them disregard what you are doing for them? Many years ago, I poured energy into a friendship. I loved hanging with my friend. She had good morals and she was fun to hang out with. We would often get together a few times a week. Our young children at that time would play. We would even talk often on the phone. One day while at a Bible Study together we were all answering a question on having that Best friends. There were varied answers: yes I have a good, best friend, I have several friends that I do different things with; to I am new in this area. My “best friend” said, "I have a friend who I love to hang out with. Not a day goes by that I don’t hang out with or talk to her on the phone".....sounds great huh? Well, she wasn’t referring to me.  The disappointment I felt was crushing my spirit. I didn’t even know this new “best friend” and I had shared my heart and soul with someone who I thought had mutual feelings towards me.

I have learned a lot since that time. I have sat back, developed a satisfying relationship with my husband. Raised my children to adulthood and teens years. Started a non profit. Along the way a good friend has fallen into my lap…something I wouldn’t have orchestrated on my own. But when my children were younger, my husband was working to support us, and I was lonely. I have done some growing up over the years. I am not the same person I was in many ways.

I think of the lonely children in foster care. These children get picked on at school. Teachers don’t even know what to do with “them”. These children are living with parents who are telling them their very existence doesn’t matter.  Who will tell them the truth? Their very life matters, and what would it mean to them to hear that….? More than telling we need to show them they matter. God cares even more than we do. He has given us tools to love beyond anything we could ever ask or imagine. Because His Holy Spirit is at work inside us, we can show these children what love feels like.

Showing love to a child who has never felt it will not be easy. In fact, they are quite used to feeling unloved, ashamed and worthless.  Giving them a time out is actually comforting to them. Step by step, they will try to push you away. When all they are screaming on the inside for is more. More love, more acceptance, more compassion, more nuture and more of a healthy attachment. They are wondering what they could possibly do to make you stop loving them. What they want to know from you is…nothing will ever separate them from your love. You have the tools. There are resources available. Love them and see them with Jesus eyes. Replenish the knowledge in your hearts that God loves you. So you can show that to the children whom God has entrusted into your care. It won’t always be easy. But they are worth every second you have chosen to invest in them.