She was a cutter.
Little scars laced her arms and torso. A tapestry of pain hewn with every slice and nick. The most difficult case I had experienced. Years of abuse and negative self-talk programmed her for pain.
“When I cut, it takes my focus off the pain inside me,” she said. I couldn’t comprehend.
Emma had endured forty-plus years of abuse. She was desperate to change and to heal, and she believed it could happen. I knew the power of God could do just that, but we had a lot of work to do.
What happened to Emma was a horrible series of conditioning since childhood. Everything lovely and innocent was taken from her. The abuser ritually repeated words designed to emotionally enslave, and she believed those words. Eventually, she felt “hopeless and unlovable.”
Today, Emma thrives, living life to the fullest and enjoying the love of a husband, children, and grandchildren. She’s no longer plagued by the horrors of her past. It wasn’t an easy journey, but bit by bit she clawed her way out of her excruciating agony.
God’s Word cuts deep with glorious cleansing and renewing action. His Word cuts through the enemy’s lies. His Word heals, renews, and rebuilds.
We all have pain from our past. We all handle it differently: pills, alcohol, drugs, sex, theft, manipulation, deception, lies, over-shopping, over-working. The degree of pain runs the whole spectrum, as does the coping mechanisms we choose. Our pain may not be the same as Emma’s, but pain is pain. It hurts. It’s relevant.
If you are hurting or plagued by memories that send you into your own personal abyss leaving you feeling alone, hopeless, or unlovable, change is possible. God’s Word is alive and powerful and can dig deeply into your troubles and rescue you.
Go deep into God’s Word, and experience the healing you search for.
Name changed to protect privacy.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Beth Wharton is the author of Divorce Devotions: Words of Encouragement for the Shattered Heart. She is a certified human resources professional, certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and holds a master's degree in counseling. She is a counselor turned life coach who has combined her passion for helping others and integrated over 25 years of collected skill sets to coach women to reach their goals. She can be found at www.newwomanrising.com.