Turning over and over again in my bed with just a hint of dawn peeking threw the windows. Momentarily pulled out of sleep by a faint echo heard, of a voice, calling out to me over and over again.
Redemption
Redeeming love
Redeemed
A gentle reminder of the one who is bigger than it all bigger, than what our thoughts drift to at night. The things that haunt us, the open wounds that we have so carefully bandaged and we can even forget about.
We forget that these wounds can bleed until that painful moment when its slammed into a wall, or bumped by someone. You become fully aware of its presences when pain shoots threw your body momentarily freezing your life. One small, minuscule, cut still in the healing process can cause so much pain that for one second you are completely debilitated. Your heart stops, your lungs clamp shut, every muscle goes taunt. All because of one small cut, that was forgotten about, it might have been thought to be healed or so close to being healed that it slipped your mind completely.
Then bam, blood gushing, pain throbbing the memory of when it first happened returns.
All I wanted to do was sit.
Pick up the stool and then sit on it. Simple right, yet in that unguarded moment of picking up the stool my finger was cut. It was no ones fault, not even my own.
Never the less I am wounded. And sometimes I forget that it is still healing, that is until I smash it against my coffee mugs handle and see that blood start to tint the bandage.
I could just leave it, forget about it once more, which could leave to infection and draw out the healing process much longer than needed. Or I could take care of it, change the bandage, clean it and put medicine on it.
Redeeming love works the same way. Those wounds you have, the deep heart hurts caused by a number of things or people. You can forget about them, and then they can start to infect surrounding parts of your life, and can stay open for years if they go untreated.
Its not a pretty process at all either, blood, tears, dirty bandages and maybe a few curse words thrown in there.
We all have open wounds in our hearts and God is asking us to take care of them and to seek help in that process. The process is so much nicer with a friend on your side.
Being redeemed is not fun, unlike the novel which shares the same title it does not include being swept off your feet, or at least not at first.
If the wound has crap in it you have to painfully clean it out, scrape the gravel out of he Knee or run water over the cut. This usually causes blood to come gushing out once more and napkins need to be applied.
In regards to your heart this can look and feel awful as well, your heart gets hurt, you need to go to someone and get help, divulge the secrets or spill the truth, confess your sins or the sins other committed against you and let that person wrap their arms around you while tears pour out.
In plain be vulnerable with all of your crap with other people.
Do not just cover it up and forget about it, do not let it get infected. No redemption can happen that way. For redemption to take place exposer needs to occur, something to redeemed needs to be brought to light. Love needs to be allowed into the equation.
Full healing, redemption can take a while, it will not happen over night and it will take being vulnerable and open with others, exposing and cleaning out the crap and then proper after care for a heart wound to be healed.
Redeeming love, is sweet yet extremely raw and painful. Just read Hosea if you don't believe me.
I am thankful that my Papa whispered that into my ear this morning over and over again. A gentle reminder to not ignore the hurting parts of my heart that are still in need of healing. To in fact seek out help in the healing process and take good care of that part of my heart until it is fully healed.
A reminder that He, my Papa wants to redeem that part of my heart. To pour love over it and make it whole and new so that He can sweep me off my feet as I call Him my beloved husband.
What part of your heart is still in the process of healing? What wounds have you slapped a bandaged on and called it good?
What is Papa saying to you?
