They say time heals all wounds, but I don’t believe it.
Our Faith walked around with a broken neck for six years, something we were blind to until a gymnastics fall brought it to light. I still cry when I think of all the ways God’s hands protected her spinal cord when her broken vertebrae did not. How God brought us an amazing pediatric neurosurgeon {in our very own town!} who worked His miracles on her neck. And today, the vertebrae are fully fused and healed. She can do more activities than we thought possible, including riding her bike.
But sometimes, broken bones fuse faster than broken hearts.
When she’s told gymnastics is a thing of the past, those broken heart tears flow through fall, winter and spring. They last far longer than tears from post-op pain. Because when we have to give up something we wholeheartedly love, it takes that much more time for our hearts to become whole again. But time isn’t all it takes.
During surgery, screws are placed on the right and left of vertebrae C1 and C2. But these alone don’t make for a successful fusion. So Dr. Grabb takes bone from her ribs and places that bone between the two vertebrae, and that bone causes vertebrae to fuse together. It’s that rib bone that binds the broken.
To heal the broken heart? It takes something to fuse the torn fragments, too. So when I wipe her tears, I place the healing Word into her heart. And ever so slowly, I see the broken pieces fuse right around the Word making her heart whole again. I pray and pray and pray some more, and I see and feel Him bind up her wounds.
Time itself does not heal wounds. Time with the Healer does.
Saturday, Faith helps me clean up a few things from the (in)RL tea. I put away extra goody bags and stack leftover cards when I hear her gasp,
“Mama! Can I have that card? The one you just had with the door open on the front!? I first saw it earlier today, and I know it’s meant for me!”
I shuffle through the stack and pull one out.
“Oh, is this the one you meant?” I ask, holding it up.
She beams. “Yes! Oh yes, this is it! See, Mama?” She looks up at me all wide-eyed and smiling, and then she reads the whole thing:
“Even if it seems some doors are closing…
…you haven’t missed a thing –
God is going to open up the right one just for you.”
“See?” She waves it in the air. “See? I told you it was meant for me!”
I can hardly form words. “Yes, it is,” I whisper.
That card~just one more way He binds the broken and heals her heart. Just one more way He shows love meant just for her…
Oh Kristen!!!! I can’t even see the screen the tears are falling so much! Through reading about your precious daughter, I can tell she has such a sweet and pure heart for the Lord! The hurt you must experience as a mom is tremendous, but your right, we aren’t alone and niether are they. Just last night my daughter cried to me that she feels like she is being bullied into sharing half her lunch with someone and ends up starving at the end of the day and my heart breaks. But, I know the Lord is faithful and he will show me the way to guide her through this. Thank you for reminding me how powerful the Word can be in even their lives. I will be praying for your baby! Please pray for mine! Thanks for sharing your life with us!
Praying for your girl now, Paola. Goodness, this parenting thing isn’t for the faint of heart, is it.
Amen, sister!
It’s a gift to see our children get Him, isn’t it?!
Yup, a gift for sure! And it makes the days you wonder if *anything* is getting through much easier to handle.
I think I need to print this post and keep it with me. Thank you for sharing. Sounds like you are doing a spectacular job pointing your daughter to Jesus through everything. Good job, mama!
Also – I realized why you must look familiar. I work at Woodmen & go in for worship staff meetings Tuesday mornings. I probably walked past you several times when you were headed to Moms & Beyond which is just across the hall from where we meet.
Yes Jessica, that must be it!! I *loved* that group~especially our group mentors Dale and Penny. Such beautiful encouragers! As are YOU. Thank you, Jessica.
***tears*** Oh Kristen. So beautiful. Blessings to you and your sweet girl.
Thank you, friend!
That was soo moving! Tears…. Kleenex….trying to work. Thank you so much for sharing that story! Not only did it make me think about how I help my kids work through hurts and how God is always there (if we look) to heal them but also how He does that for me. I have been tested lately at every turn and I am doing my best to remain focused on Him and obedient seeking what HE has for these situations and hearing this story just reminds me how a card….a song….a kind word….these are all ways that God touches us and heals the broken areas. Such a wonderful reminder! Thank you again for sharing!
-Gina
You say this so lovely ~ how God sometimes uses simple measures to heal our broken areas. Yes! How often I overlook them because I expect something grander. Thank you for being here, Gina.
Thank you for sharing this ~
Oh my stars. I love how Jesus works.
see you soon!
Wow, the tears are flowing…so beautiful!
Ok, just have to share a beautiful poem I read this morning in the Transformation Garden devotional. Amazing the lessons we can learn from our children. I am still crying from your beautiful post and the little light your daughter brought to my day.
Little Lights
“Jesus spoke of little lights, candles, lamps,
not great bonfires, just small steady flames
to brighten some dark corner of the house.
Come to think of it, Jesus always preached little –
children, flowers, sparrows, the widow’s mite,
mustard seeds, loaves and fishes. He didn’t
expect people to make great gestures.
I guess he knew that little is the currency
of every day living.
So let’s thank God for little lights,
the warm smile, the hug, the phone call,
a wave from a passing car, a cup of tea,
an open door, a talent freely shared.
How often when my own candle has gone out,
has someone relit it from their lamp of kindness.
That can’t happen with a big light.
I mean, how close can you get
to a supernova.”
Joy Cowley, Psalms for the Road
I *love* that, Christina. And I haven’t heard of that devo before. Thank you so much for sharing. Simply beautiful.
You’re a good mom. And we have a most excellent Father. Love to see these pictures of a smiling, healthy girl.
I had tears falling… so wonderful. God is so good.
Oh my goodness… so beautiful and sweet Kristen! “Time itself does not heal wounds. Time with the Healer does.” Amen. Amen!
Lovely post. Keep smiling, Faith.
What a precious story! Don’t you just love it when you see that God has been working in ways you weren’t even aware of…especially in your children? Lovely.