I've been doing some thinking this week after I noticed the scars on some of my friends knees from various surgeries they've had, but also as I'm reading Captivating by Jon & Stasi Eldredge with one of my friends (this is my 3rd time reading the book if that tells you how I feel about it..) However, I've never read it with another person before, and actually talking about the things - the wounds and scars of my heart and seeing how they shape me has been really powerful, and really challenging.
I think often times we are ashamed of our scars. We cover them up, and hope nobody notices - this is true for physical scars, but I think it can also stand true for the scars on our hearts - we bury it deep inside us, and hope that the wounds we've experienced haven't been noticed by others.
For many men and women in this world their scars come from men in their lives. The girl I'm reading this book with - most of her wounds come from her dad, or an ex-boyfriend. However, as we talk about it I realized that my wounds come more from women - my relationship with my mom has always been harder than my dad, I've felt more hurt by mom, in high school and middle school it was relationships with girls that caused me more damage and heart-break than a boyfriend.
Going into this semester, I was intimidated by my clinical instructor, who was a woman - as all my clinical instructors have been, however, she was training a new clinical instructor who was a guy and I was automatically more at ease with him than I ever initially was with my actual clinical instructor. I am more at ease around the men in my circle of friends - because I put into place self-protective measures from women. I'm afraid I'm going to get hurt again... Granted, I have this knowledge about myself, I have the power to work to overcome this fear. But it's a journey... and knowing why I do things the way I do them helps me to make sense of who I am.
Our scars - they're not something to be ashamed of, no. They are the experiences of life that make us who we are. They are our testimony. And in our testimony - there is power, and opportunity.
Reflect on your scars, re-open your wounds. It may hurt, but when we have the courage to do these things the Lord brings healing and enables His light to more fully shine through us. God can use your story and your scars to teach others about his love.
I just want to leave you with a verse that has brought me a lot of hope as I go through my journey of allowing the Lord to heal the wounds of my heart.
Take courage, healing is in store for you. Tobit 5:10
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Purify Our Hearts, O Lord
Luke 24:13-35 The road to Emmaus is the Gospel reading for today. Verse 32 says "were not our hearts burning within us." Referring to when Jesus was walking with the men, opening the scriptures for them.
I read a reflection on this today, where the author pointed out that when the hearts were burning within these men it was because in that moment their hearts were being purified.
Easter Octave is such a blessed time in the Church. Jesus is present to in a very special, particular, and real way in this time of His resurrection. He is with us in a very intimate way, and purifying us - teaching us more about Himself, now that the will of the Father is complete - He has conquered sin and death, it is a time of rejoicing.
Back in the beginning of the liturgical year, with Advent, I prayed the rosary every day for the intention of the Lord purifying my heart. Once more, this act - of the Lord purifying my heart - has come to the forefront of my prayer.
"Behold, I make all things new." Rev 21:5
I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
The Lord desires to know us more. He desires us as we are, and to make us wholly His own people. He wants to renew and refresh us this Easter season. He wants to purify our hearts.
In this time of Easter, I encourage you to seek the Lord because He is present to us in a very special way, this is a very blessed time in the Church, of much rejoicing, and there is a unique opportunity for us to encounter the healing joy and love and of the Lord. He wishes to set us free from those thing that tie us down, that keep us in bondage. He wishes to make us light of his truth and his love.
He makes himself known on the road to Emmaus at the end of the journey, in the breaking of the bread - the mass - Christ wants to make Himself known to us in the mass this Easter season and to purify our hearts, to purify our love for Him. Dwell in him as dwells in, abide with Him as he abides with you. When you receive Jesus body, blood, soul, and divinity you become a living tabernacle of the living God and carry Him with you wherever you go. Let that truth carry into the way you live your life!
I read a reflection on this today, where the author pointed out that when the hearts were burning within these men it was because in that moment their hearts were being purified.
Easter Octave is such a blessed time in the Church. Jesus is present to in a very special, particular, and real way in this time of His resurrection. He is with us in a very intimate way, and purifying us - teaching us more about Himself, now that the will of the Father is complete - He has conquered sin and death, it is a time of rejoicing.
Back in the beginning of the liturgical year, with Advent, I prayed the rosary every day for the intention of the Lord purifying my heart. Once more, this act - of the Lord purifying my heart - has come to the forefront of my prayer.
"Behold, I make all things new." Rev 21:5
I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
The Lord desires to know us more. He desires us as we are, and to make us wholly His own people. He wants to renew and refresh us this Easter season. He wants to purify our hearts.
In this time of Easter, I encourage you to seek the Lord because He is present to us in a very special way, this is a very blessed time in the Church, of much rejoicing, and there is a unique opportunity for us to encounter the healing joy and love and of the Lord. He wishes to set us free from those thing that tie us down, that keep us in bondage. He wishes to make us light of his truth and his love.
He makes himself known on the road to Emmaus at the end of the journey, in the breaking of the bread - the mass - Christ wants to make Himself known to us in the mass this Easter season and to purify our hearts, to purify our love for Him. Dwell in him as dwells in, abide with Him as he abides with you. When you receive Jesus body, blood, soul, and divinity you become a living tabernacle of the living God and carry Him with you wherever you go. Let that truth carry into the way you live your life!
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