My daughter... over lunch... she tells me about her friend... one with a new baby... a new house... and the process of redecorating... renovating...
She took her 5-month old to the house... ready to work... sweeping away... when...
whack!... she accidentally hit her babe... in the head... with the broom...
Her friend tells her...
He just looked at me... like... "Why'd you do that?"... and then he let out a wail...
She felt terrible... her friend... any who have parented... have had similar experiences... I know I have... unintentional woundings of my children... not only physically... but emotionally... words spoken without thought... looks given... that cut a heart... deep...
And here I thought... is where it begins... the
enemy... will take this wound... even at 5 months... and begin to whisper...
See... she's not safe... she doesn't love you... you are just in the way...
It starts early... this hate... this terror... this festering of wounds... ones the enemy uses... to harden... divide... destroy... devour... those created in His
image... for His
purpose...
How do we... combat... such an enemy... one insidious... unseen... devious beyond our understanding...?
Love... encouragement... never letting a wound go... without profuse apology... humbling before... even our child... at 5 months...
Don't tell them...
toughen up... it was an accident... get over it... stop crying... recognize the wound... pray... for healing... of hearts... and spirits... Pray... for protection... from the enemy... who whispers... unseen...
Speak love... speak grace... speak worth... into your children... no matter how old...
Recognize... there is an enemy... and all the unseen... unintentional... wounds... he'll take advantage of to destroy...
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
1Peter 5:8-9
(my emphasis)
I think of my own wounds... those inflicted by my parents... wounds I know were completely unintentional... yet my understanding... perverted and twisted... by the one who whispers in the dark... wounds... that I see changed my heart... and choices... setting me up for fall... after... fall...
But the One who is
love... has spoken healing to many of those places... those He has revealed...
In turn... I believe... that we need to be alert... looking for potential wounds... in us... in others... those we've inflicted... those others have inflicted... and begin... like
Him... to speak healing... and love... into hearts... wounded...
Remember... all... are undergoing the same kind of sufferings... give grace... speak worth... speak love... love... love...
Be completely humble and gentle;
be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2
You never know... you might begin... a process... of... healing... in the life... of one wounded...
