Have you heard the phrase “time heals all wounds?” Yeah, me too.
And in some ways, I believe it. I think time heals you a little bit. It gives you additional moments for tears, prayer, worship, and life to happen. It gives time for life to go on – for things to feel a little closer to normal. But I have personally decided that time doesn’t heal all wounds. In fact, I have decided nothing heals all wounds completely. I don’t think God calls us to be completely healed from our pain. He does ask us to praise Him anyway. He asks us to worship Him in the storm. However, He also doesn’t ask us to not grieve, and I think in some ways, there are things we will grieve a little bit our whole lives, as long as we turn back to God Every. Single. Time.
Consider Job. Job suffered so much but continued to praise God. He did grieve. He did tear his robe and shave his head. But then he fell to the ground and worshipped God. (Job 1:20)
Perhaps you have suffered a devastating loss. There may always be a residue of that pain. Personally, I believe that to be true while we are on this earth. But we are sustained by God’s grace and the knowledge that life encompasses both joy and heartache. And one day when we live with Him forever, every tear will be wiped away. Job’s journey of suffering and discovering hope as he experiences God more deeply than he knew possible is a beautiful reminder for each of us that God will never leave us in our suffering.
-Carly