“Maybe the secret to really healing is to change the end goal. Instead of expecting the healing work to change me back to how I was before, I could let the healing make me into a healthier version of myself. Instead of focusing on all that was taken from me, maybe I could shift my focus to what this new season could give me.”- Lysa TerKeurst
In Chapter 10 (“The Secret to Really Healing”) of I Want to Trust You, but I Don’t, Lysa TerKeurst talks about the time she took a gentle kind of hike in a forest. She noticed a little plaque marking a fallen tree. The sing read, The Resilient Oak Tree.
Most significantly, as Lysa took a closer look at the fallen tree, she noticed the tree remained alive. Because, even though the storm pulled up the large roots, part of the tree trunk touching the ground grew new roots where it fell. And the upper part of the tree still thrives today.
So, as Lysa stood staring at the tree, she thought to herself, They may have knocked me down, but I will accept what happened, grow new roots, and turn broken into beautiful.
As a result, Lysa then realized the real antidote for trust issues. However, the antidote doesn’t involve making the perfect choice of the right people. Or catching every rip and repairing it perfectly. Rather, the real antidote centers on accepting that trust is never a guarantee with humans. Because some relationships hurt us, while others help heal us.
Therefore, we must anchor our hope to the Lord. Consequently, the risks of trust carry less terror as we develop the muscles of resiliency.
In conclusion, Lysa exhorts:
“Dare to trust again. Do it carefully, and give it wisely. But don’t put pressure on yourself to do this trust thing perfectly. God will be right there with you. And, as we’ve learned together, no one is more powerful than God.”
Today’s question: What do you need to do to develop a healthier version of yourself? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Come out swinging – address sin?”