Healable
Proofreading an essay for my college aged daughter, I was struck by the quote she was analyzing as per her assignment. Spoken by the author, Tim O’Brien, in his documentary, Operation Homecoming, I found the mindset disturbing, but then I reminded myself that this very well might be the mindset of countless people who don’t know Christ. The quote was, “There is a false notion that we all ought to recover from everything: divorce, broken homes, and wars and get on. We all ought to heal. I don't believe in it. I believe the opposite. There are some things you shouldn't heal from. They are unhealable. And if they were healable, you oughtn't do it anyway. There is something to be said for remembering and not healing.”
Unhealable? Really? Maybe unforgettable, but certainly not unhealable! However, this man is confused about the difference between remembering and healing. In fact, his statement of, “…something to be said for remembering and not healing,” runs contrary to everything Christ came to do. He came to bring good news to the afflicted, bind up the broken hearted, and set the captives free. Well, I would definitely say that anyone trapped in their unhealed wounds is afflicted, broken, and captive. To know that so many believe this way is a tragedy in itself and an excellent reminder of how desperately we all need Christ.
The more I thought about this, the more I realized that it is not only the lost who allow themselves to be trapped in their wounds, but also many, many of those who proclaim themselves to be under the blood of Christ. Oh, how we believe the lies that our wounds are unhealable, or that they should remain that way. If only we all fully understood that Christ’s victory was for every aspect of life. Yes, of course, God desires for us to be healed of our past regardless of how traumatic of a label we place on it, and not only that, but He expects us to use the power given to us by His Son to find victory!
I can think of countless stories of Christians experiencing traumatic injustices, devastating losses, and unbelievable persecutions, and yet were able to heal, forgive and even use their situations to minister to others. Unforgettable they may be, but unhealable they are not, and praise God for that!
We know that if God is for us, who can be against us? We know that nothing can separate us from His love. We know that we are more than conquerors. We know that He freely gives to us all things. We know that He causes all things to work together for good. We know that we can do all things through Christ. The list goes on and on. Since we know all these things, we know that the power is available to us. All we have to do is ask in His name. How hopeless the world is without Jesus, and how confident and victorious we are with Him. Hallelujah and amen!Amie Spruiell 4/13/12
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