Walking Through Pain Day 2

Jesus was broken for us. And his body (that’s us, the body of Christ), is broken insofar as we don’t function as a unit – we work in isolation, but rarely in the coordinated way that we were intended to function.

We are part of his body. But to the extent that we are independent and self-sufficient, we deny that reality. 

Here’s a great irony – we must be broken if we are to play our part in the body of Christ. “I delight in weaknesses,” Paul proclaims.

Most of us feel disconnected in life. We long for closer friends, better church, and greater intimacy. To get there, we have to first connect with our brokenness.

 

We must be broken

Pain is part of life. It comes at us from all directions. When we feel something beyond our control that seems wrong, broken, unjust or impossible, we have to look at the pain and deal with reality. The pain is real – it happened. Acknowledging it is the first step to transforming it.

 

The suffering we feel may not have an explanation, but it is real. No amount of suppressing or redefinition will make it right. But we can start down a path toward healing if we’ll deal with it. And while we may not be able to eliminate it, if we do not transform our pain, we will surely transmit it. 

 

No one can go back in time to undo the abuse you may have suffered as a child. And yes, your daddy probably didn’t love you the way he should have. You’ve not been loved the way you deserved. You’ve not been appreciated by the very people who should appreciate you.

 

It’s a broken world. Let’s accept that, and move on to a place of redemption. Let’s look at our lives and ask the Lord to show us any pain that he wants to help us process.

 

There will be different types of painful experiences.  Some will have big wounds that are gaping and others may think there are no wounds in my childhood, and everything in between.  This is not about comparison of painful events, it is about what God brings up in your mind as you pray…big or small.  Sometimes the smallest things have the most lasting impact when we are children. Ask him to show you which painful think he is wanting to heal. 

 

Here is a little of my childhood story: 

 I had a pretty good and normal childhood.  I am the middle child and have two sisters.  My parents were married until I was an adult.  When I was young, I was an awkward, skinny kid with glasses and freckles.  

My sisters were both heavier and struggled with that.  They would make fun of me for being skinny, called me names and always drew attention to my “stick like body”.  Seems trivial, but as a child it hurt.  

Being called names is never a good thing, no matter the name.  I carried a lot of guilt; I felt so bad for my sisters and always wondered why I had to be the different one.  My sisters also both had dark hair and dark eyes.  I was blonde and blue eyed.  I always felt I did not fit in my family.  

Family pictures were always awkward and i can remember people would joke to my parents and say things like “where did you get her”, or “who’s kid is she”.  I can remember shying into my own little ball because I felt like I didn’t belong, I felt ashamed that I was different.

My sisters always teased me that I was adopted and for a long while, I actually thought I was and my parents just didn’t want to tell me.  I remember asking my mom once if I was adopted, she told me, no I was not, but I remember thinking it could be possible.  

I know that I was not adopted, but that pain as a child was real.  And I know my sisters meant me no harm, but that pain was also real and it stuck with me for a long time.  Actually, I never dealt with all of that pain until I did this course myself.  I was able to realize I still held some resentment against my sisters, and let go and forgive them.

 

 

1. Divide your life into three parts: 

Today let’s look at childhood (we can look at the rest of your life later) What’s story? What pain scarred you?

 

2. How have you processed that pain? Is it fully processed? Please ask the Lord about it.

 

3. Ask the Lord how he wants to use your pain redemptively in your life and the lives of others. Take the time to listen. What does he say?