“Will you be one with wounds who heals or one with wounds who hurts?”

-—Cornel Ronald West

Self inflicted or inflicted by others— some wounds heal and some leave scars. After surgery the scars on our physical bodies are often sore or continue to be sensitive to touch for the rest of our lives. The experiences of life tend to perform surgical procedures on our emotions and souls…leaving wounds in trodden places.

Bowen (2007) asserted that “those who have been hurt will hurt others”. I believe that if we make a conscious effort as human-beings to acknowledge our pain, to understand that we have been hurt and open our hearts to forgiveness then those who were once wounded may begin to heal and help others to heal. The battle that lies before us…fight the urge of allowing emotional injury and hidden suffering to fester and turn into anger, hatred or rage.

Find that place of calmness inside yourself and ask God to heal all of your bruised and broken places…the wounds in your mind, your heart and your spirit. How can we be of service to others when our own spirits are bound in emotional agony, trapped in fear and weighed down in pain?

A bird cannot fly with the weight of bread crumbs on its feathers neither can an eagle soar with a broken wing. Our inner wounds are our “bread crumbs”. We can either allow them to remain and continue to burden our hearts or we can choose to turn our souls towards the wind and allow those annoying “bread crumbs” to simply fly away. Once the weight of past wounds are released, we then become free to rise to a higher plain. We can begin to accept healing, extend forgiveness, appreciate openness, treasure growth and cherish love.

___Daphne Knox McClain

A prayer for the wounded:

“Dear Lord I accept my wounds and I ask You to heal them and not allow me to use my wounds as an excuse to hurt others but instead give me the strength and courage to defy the odds and find Your Power and Your Peace in my wounded places.”

—Daphne Knox McClain

References:

Bowen, W. (2007 October 16). A complaint free world: How to stop complaining and start enjoying the life you always wanted. Danvers, MA: Harmony Books.