There are people you see everyday with large gaping wounds.
If the wounds were visible you would exclaim, “oh my gosh are you okay? You should really go get that looked at!”
Some wounds are so intense you would immediately call 911 and get an ambulance to transport the wounded straight to the nearest Emergency Room.
However, not all wounds can be treated by the ER.
The wounds I speak of are very strategically hidden.
How are you? “I’m fine”
You good? “yep”
Hi! How are you doing today? “great and you”
You never see the drops of invisible blood hitting the floor as the wounded walk away from you.
The flesh can bear only a certain number of wounds, but the soul can bleed in ten thousand ways, and die over and over again each hour. Charles Spurgeon
When an injury occurs at work you are highly encouraged to immediately go get checked out. Workers comp claims are filled out and you are sent back to work with a doctor’s note that gives direct orders to your boss that you are not to return with a full work load until you are cleared.
You lose a loved one and you are given a limited amount of bereavement days (3 for me). You come back to a full work load and hide your wounds. No physical therapy is ordered for you. No medicine given to treat your pain. No one who is going to check on you to “clear” you for normal duties. You are expected to jump right back in and be 100%. The reality is, you are trying to work while mortally wounded.
Grief has split me wide open. It has left a large gaping wound. I hide it as best I can. I fear that any moment the bandage is going to come flying off and I will leave a great big mess.
A friend invited me to a Grief Share group. I did NOT want to go. I have been in and out of grief groups since I was 14 years old. To be honest I naively thought I had this grief thing mastered. The thought of ripping my bandage off one night a week felt daunting.
I begrudgingly went to the group. Not because I wanted too, but because I knew I had too. I knew it was necessary for me to heal.
A wound this size requires immediate attention.
Grief Share is my Emergency Room.
It is not a place I want to go, because let’s face it, the Emergency Room is a place of pain. No one goes there because they are feeling good.
Once a week, for the next 13 weeks, I will be going to the Emergency Room to change my bandage. I realized if I neglected caring for this invisible wound I could become very sick. Infection could set in delaying much needed healing.
I want to encourage you to find your “ER”.
It could be a church “small group”…
Perhaps just simply gathering close friends for support…
A bible study…
Or God’s ultimate ER…..CHURCH
We are meant to be with a body of believers who will help us through our darkest hours.
Don’t neglect your wounds. God sees them. He wants to HEAL them.
It will be WORK, but it will be WORTH IT.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit. PS 34:18