Wounded by God’s People (Zondervan, 2013)
Author Anne Graham Lotz speaks from numerous personal experiences when she affirms that the wounds inflicted by God’s people are painful and devastating. Even so, we can’t allow ourselves to reject the God of those who rejected us. Basing her book on the Old Testament story of Hagar, Anne states that as the ones who have been devastated, we are the ones God is calling.
The author notes that the first step of our healing journey is to acknowledge our pain. How we handle our rejection and wounding is critical. If we respond to our wounding by becoming wounders, we will perpetuate our sense of being on the outside of God’s inner circle. Regardless of how God has been represented by others, we need to commit to living out our life for Him. The solution is to pray rather than retaliate.
Our woundedness can cause us to become believers in exile. Yet as hard as we might try, we can never outrun God. The lack of peace and the absence of joy in our lives are indicators that God is trying to get our attention so that He can bless us. It takes courage and time commitment to allow the light of God’s truth to penetrate the deep recess of our hearts. Embracing the wounds of divine pruning enables us to bear much fruit to the glory of God.
Although we’re anxious to get out of the darkness and the wilderness in which we find ourselves, we cannot allow our despair to blind us. Instead of imploding from within, by calling on Jesus the prison cell of our spiritual self-imposed exile will be unlocked. Our valley can become our place of vision as we bear witness to God’s grace in our lives. As Anne summarizes: “Sometimes the most valuable lessons are caught, not taught.” We can come home to the Father.
