Purpose from the “Park-Hole": Embracing Emotional Healing
Earlier last week when I had to rock my First Choice Chanel boot! LOL
As many of you know or if you didn’t, I sprained my ankle pretty badly about a week ago. I wish I could tell you I twisted it while working out or I was playing basketball and someone crossed me over real quick. How about it was none of that?! Instead it happened at our neighborhood playground park.
This past weekend was my birthday and I had an amazing time! One of the highlights was receiving a gift from a dear sister who wrote a note with my delectable Edible Arrangements delivery which read, “Stay away from the playground, it’s too rough out there for you! LOL!” Whew…I hollered!! That was too funny! I still chuckle at the thought of a playground taking me out for almost a week.
“What had happened was…” my husband (Brian), our 2 year old daughter (Kori), our dog (Mason), and I went for a family walk around the neighborhood that beautiful sunny Sunday. I was pushing Kori in her little Joovy tricycle (in which she affectionately calls it her “bike”). As we approached the playground, she asked to play. Brian kept walking Mason around the neighborhood while I watched Kori go down the slide about 100 times! LOL
Kori seated with her BFF and "Brother," Mason. He's an Akita.
As we’re leaving, Brian is standing on the sidewalk with Mason near Kori’s bike. Kori is walking towards him and I’m walking behind her. I cut across the grass to get their quickly and POP! My ankle rolled out the socket, popped back into place, (I know the face you’re probably making right now), because I gingerly stepped into a small 2 inch hole covered up by the grass. If you can just imagine how I lost all my religion in that moment! LOL I mean the pain was excruciating! I immediately went down to the ground holding my ankle like it was a baby.
Brian asked if I was okay and told me not to rush getting up. Kori immediately asks, “Mommy you okay? You okay Mommy? (pauses for moment)....Daddy I wanna go sliiide!” Now I’m in tears from the pain and immediately burst out laughing! My baby was like “Look Mommy… I mean at least I asked you if you were okay, now it's time to play again!” LOL
Needless to say, Brian had to walk all the way back home to get the truck to bring me back home because I couldn’t walk. I got X-rays the next day and turns out I have a bad sprain called Achilles Tendonitis. Thank God I’m okay now. It’s still very tender, but I don’t need my Emergency One Chanel boot or crutches anymore. However, I still can’t wear any of my fabulous heels at the moment either, but I’ll be patient! :)
A random shot of my shoes at the mall one day. Pre-sprain of course! Hey a girl can dream of being in her shoes right? LOL
The next day I was afforded the opportunity to be on an amazing monthly call with an amazing woman of God, Mrs. Deidre Johnson-Dixon. Her mantra is to Live Fearless! I love that! It was a great interview as we discussed the topic of “Emotional Healing.” I transparently shared my journey towards A NEW ME. If you missed it you can listen to it here: Emotional Healing. I had no idea how a sprain would tie into the topic of Emotional Healing but it did. From my experience, I want to provide you with one point I shared on the call.
When we have experienced a traumatic or broken moment in our lives the inward pain is also excruciating. It really takes time to heal and we need to give ourselves permission to work through the process. If you’re currently in that emotional state, I hope you will find the point I discovered through my physical pain helpful:
Obviously I couldn’t walk on my right foot. I had to put more weight on the left leg and crutches to get around. It was difficult at first because it took extra coordination. I had to shift my body weight and make sure I didn't hurt myself at the same time. I finally got the hang of it because I learned to rest on the crutch and lean more favourably towards my left leg.
The point is, when you’re emotionally broken you also need someone you can lean on and put more weight on too. In 1 Peter 5:7 it reads “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (NKJV). Did you know God desires for you to lean on Him through tough emotional seasons?
Don’t ever think the weight of your pain is too much for God. Maybe you’re thinking He doesn’t care for you. Besides, if He’s really God couldn’t He just take the pain away? Yes He could but how would that benefit you? This is not to diminish your pain but for you to gain another perspective in where you are. How would you grow spiritually or be challenged to change unless you experience hardships. It's impossible to experience change or even discover our true purpose in God without pain. We need those moments to refine and redefine our character and faith. Also, for someone to show you they care for you, you have to be open to receive the help.
"Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory."
1 Peter 1:7 The Message Bible
There were many moments when I was afraid to put the weight on my left leg because I didn’t want to injure that leg or foot either. However, I just had to trust my crutch and believe my left leg was strong enough to help me manage. Thank God I did, otherwise I would have been paralyzed to the bed or crawling to get around everywhere and “Ain’t nobody got time for that!” LOL
In the same manner, although it will be fearful to rely on someone else we must find the courage to do so. God’s “left leg” (really His strength in its entirety-just my analogy) is more than able to carry the weight of your weak “right leg” (emotional wounds and weakness). When you are in need of emotional healing, try trusting God to carry you through. He is more than enough and capable to help you find rest and comfort when you’ve been emotionally strained.
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV
Having a hard time "casting your cares" or leaning on God? Simply put, ask God to help you. Tell Him you want Him to carry you through this and you want to heal. It's nothing formal about asking for help. Just communicate with God like you would a trusted friend because He is a Trusted Friend. That's what prayer is anyway. It simply means "communicating with God." When we're hurting, God understands we cannot always articulate what we really feel inwardly. That's why the Holy Spirit resides in us "to make intercession for us."
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us
through wordless groans."
Romans 8:26 NIV
When we can't intercede for ourselves, He will make sure our inward emotional pain reaches the ears of God, but we have to trust that.
Also pray that God will send you the right people to serve as a “temporary crutch” to help you manage the inward pain. If you need help working through this process then complete this form. I will be more than happy to walk you through your journey towards A NEW ME.
As I’ve stated before, I no longer need that ugly boot or my crutches. It was a temporary means of “transportation” until I was able to stand on my two feet, literally. Remember you may need some “temporary” support from others, but I hope you will make Christ a “permanent” support that you can lean on to help you embrace healing from those emotional strains.
Though I had a temporary and painful setback, I thank God I was able to find a sense of “Purpose from the Park-Hole!”
AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY WISHES!
I’m so blessed and grateful for you!
Just in case you missed my THANK YOU BIRTHDAY VIDEO click below. Usually, I'm very serious in my videos, but this shows a little bit of my goofy side too..LOL Enjoy!
Get ready to embrace “A NEW ME: Transparently, Abundantly.”
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