Dec 19th, 2021: Healing, Freedom and Grace


Two weeks ago, I met a high schooler a week after her father died in a tragic car accident. Her mother and her young brother were there. It did not take long for me to realize that she was ready to talk when her brother was not. I could feel his pain. I also understood that he was not prepared to talk about his feeling. My visit was about the conversation I had with this young woman.


She needed to talk about her relationship with her dad and thoughts that she had wished about him. She was open to sharing with me her regrets. She shared her last memories of him. She talked about how good it was to feel the freedom to hug her dad a few weeks back. She expressed her longing to spend time with him in the wilderness. We talked about music and her passion as a violinist. Her father was an alcoholic, and his addiction had damaged his relationships with his wife and kids. Music has been her refuge in many ways.


It was a good visit, I thought. I have tried to do some follow-up after that meeting and what have I got is total silence and absolute non-communication. I was troubled at first, but I reminded myself that love is patience, and love demands us to wait and pray. So what am I praying for her and her family?


A) Healing of memories. Memories can be both painful and wonderful at the same time. The memories of the father are in great need of healing. Forgiving someone who died is a challenging mental and spiritual exercise. However, if we do not do that, the dead will control the living.


B) Freedom to dream and live: She is a gifted musician. She loves performance because it takes her to a sacred place. When she is in that place, she can dream and believe that she is at the beginning of her life only. I pray that she will see beyond suffering and hurt.


C) Confidence in the Grace and Goodness of God. She is an intelligent person. I pray that she will discover the profound depth of God's love for her. Once she accepts that love, she can overcome the burden and pain she is experiencing.


Healing. Freedom and Grace are the outcomes of the Christmas Story. As I pray for this young person, I also pray for myself as a part of my preparation for Christmas.


“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” - Luke 2: 10


“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” - 1 Timothy 1: 15

 

Popular posts from this blog

Aug 31st, 2024: Confession

Image
Dealing with pain sometimes affects our ability and flexibility. A physiotherapist friend gave me a set of home exercises to help with that. They are simple yet intense at the same time. Dealing with our human brokenness sometimes affects our ability to see and hear God. Our commitment to spiritual disciplines must be at the core of our relationship with God. One of the disciplines I have been trying to embrace more fully is confession. It’s not just about recognizing where we have gone wrong; it’s about how we have chosen to live our lives independently from God. It’s about whether we truly want God to be part of our lives. The absence of meaningful confession will damage our freedom to experience intimacy with God. "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." - Proverbs 28:13
Read more

Sept 4th, 2024: Praying in Images

Image
It has been a rough few days. Living in immense pain does not allow us much energy to think about anything. I ended up praying in images, and not many words came out of my mouth. Most of the images were of people I know. God knew that I was praying for them as their faces came to my mind. I did not need to mention the circumstances or situations of their lives—He knows. My heart was at peace as I ended my days with these images. He will take care of my body, and I know this because I was able to get some sleep. Tomorrow is in His hands.
Read more

Oct 1st, 2022: Be With Those Who Suffer

Image
  Listening to a young woman who shared her experience of being raped repeatedly by a family member for over four years as a teenager made my heart ache. The man who did that was a leader of a church. He was imprisoned for seven months and released. He was her stepfather. Her mother chose to pick him over her after his release. Her life has changed forever. She had to go to a foster home. Her foster parents helped her with her restoration and her faith in God. Her supervisor at work asked me to see her because someone at work was inappropriate toward her. That triggered many emotions within her. I did not expect the story I heard from her. The meeting took longer than I thought, and it was toward the end of the day. She kept talking about her anger and the pain she felt when men treated her like a subject. I knew that the best I could do was to listen. She told me she had not been able to tell anyone as much as with me. God reminded me of the true calling of being a pas...
Read more