” . . . pain itself is not the enemy. Pain is inevitable in this bumper-car life where you will continue to collide with a fallen world that you cannot control. Unhealed pain, however, will become your greatest foe if your broken heart is not made whole after each collision.”-Christa Black Gifford
As Christa Black Gifford concludes Chapter 1 of Heart Made Whole, she observes that turning your back on pain doesn’t make it go away. Therefore, Christa outlines a new approach. She elected to turn around and run toward the pain. Thus, Ms. Gifford advises us to:
- choose to take on the monster named Pain
- throw our arms around our current suffering and all its attendant hardships
- make a commitment to feel the heavy emotions of grief, anger, and hurt that daily steamrolls our souls
- pledge to learn everything inside this fire- this equips us to overcome future flames
- invite the refining nature of extreme heat to consume everything in our heart keeping us broken
Consequently, when you live in wholeness with Jesus and your heart thrives, you can be unshakeable. However, if your heart remains broken, you’ll experience constant separation between your heart, soul, mind, and spirit. Even as a Christian. As a result, brokenness keeps you from living in joyful connection with God and with others.
In conclusion, Christa invites you to being with a Holy-Spirit guided journey to the center of your truest self. That center? – the heart Jesus loved so much He died to live inside it. For Jesus to make you whole, you must allow Him full access to every emotion, trauma, and shameful truth. Ms. Gifford exhorts:
“[Jesus] will show you how to tend your heart gently and carefully, extending kindness, patience, and mercy as it’s cleansed and healed. But most of all, He will teach you to love your heart the way He does — lavishly, fiercely, and passionately.”
Today’s question: What unhealed pain constitutes your greatest foe? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Needing a good understanding of trauma”
