Promise
…always grief more than enough, a heart-load for each of us on the dusty road. I suppose there is a reason for this, so I will be patient…~ Mary Oliver
…when you walk through fire you shall not be burned and the flame will not consume you.
~ Isaiah 43: 2b
C.S. Lewis was well acquainted with pain and wrote much about it. All of us have known varying levels of pain, loss, suffering, and grief. If not our own per-se, perhaps our suffering is/was in watching someone we love with the whole of our being experience pain.
So, the question becomes not if we have or will suffer but rather what we do with our pain and suffering.
Some of us deny it, pasting on our very best churchy, plastic smile. Some of us numb it with work, busyness, an unhealthy relationship, or substances.
Some of us learn (eventually) to lean deeply into the promise of God: no fire has the power to consume us—burning our lives to the ground. Only we have the power to choose to be consumed.
This is true even when the flames licking at our backs is a fire that we set ourselves. We may have been the arson, and the cost may have been high, but God’s promise is constant, strong, and true in all situations. It is never too late to learn this and lean into His promise.
Take courage in the reality of mankind in the mighty hand of our Creator and Protector, as well as seek others who have walked through the fire and come out on the other side.
That support may take the form of a trusted friend, a godly counselor (professional or otherwise), or a support group such as Celebrate Recovery (CR). They are different from any other group I know.
Some will tell you they are there to recover from grief and loss. Others may tell you they are there for recovery from various addictions ranging from food to co-dependency, to grief and loss, or an addictive substance.
Regardless, the community is there for you to hear you, hold you, or just to sit silently in the group.
You can find such groups in your area via a simple google search such as “Celebrate Recovery near me.” Just make the call, open a link, someone will be there if you reach out.
Please feel free to personally reach out to me here for help in starting your journey to wholeness.
Love, your sister along the journey,k
Go to: kimberlyhighland.com for more information or to book a private session
