Notes of Faith September 26, 2022
Wounds Are Sacred
The wounds we carry with us are not obstacles to simply get over. Rather, our wounds are the way through. Our wounds aren’t something to hide or deny; instead, they are sacred parts of who we are and testaments of our journeys. At first, we may not have eyes to see our loss as a gift — how could it be? — because it’s too painful. But as we sit with our suffering and courageously welcome and move through our loss, we are transformed. Loss gives us new eyes to see the grace threaded through all humanity.
Our wounds are not separate, but a sacred part of the gift of life. Through our wounds, we are empowered to offer healing to others in pain.
Compassion is born in the heart of the wounded.
Compassion is born in the heart of the wounded
The Latin root of the word compassion is compati, which literally means to “suffer with one.”1 We can only truly suffer with those who are suffering once we have endured suffering ourselves.
We see this same pattern of sacred woundedness weaved throughout the story of Jesus. Jesus wasn’t a savior unacquainted with suffering; He was “a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand” (Isaiah 53:3 MSG). And it is “by His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). He is the ultimate wounded healer.
To experience our own suffering is to partake not only in the suffering of humanity but also in the suffering of our Savior.
Here is where the hope comes in. If we follow the way of Jesus, we know sorrow and suffering are not the end of the story. We live in the light of the resurrection. Yes, Jesus suffered greatly, but He rose again. And to believe in the resurrection is to believe we, too, will rise. Death is no longer an enemy to be feared because we have hope beyond the grave. This hope is a “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19 ESV). When tragedy strikes, when death feels like it’s won, when we’ve hit rock bottom and can’t see a way to live with the pain for another day, hope is the way through.
The pain we are facing today doesn’t exempt us from future pain. The road ahead will most likely take unexpected twists and turns, but as we grasp the steering wheel, shift the car into drive, and bravely begin paving a new way through, we can rest assured that we are not navigating the unknown alone. Just like that day on the old dairy roads when I sat safely in my father’s arms, we are held right here too. Hope is the vehicle that drives us forward, and divine love is the safety belt holding us secure.
Excerpted from Rebuilding Beautiful by Kayla Stoecklein, copyright Kayla Stoecklein.
Each day brings wounds, suffering, pain, and yet through all of it there can be hope, joy, security, and anticipation of that which is to come. We will all be wounded and should hold them as sacred acts of God to draw us closer to Him and make us more like Jesus! His grace is sufficient for all of us!
Pastor Dale