Journey of the Heart

I sat beside Father Mike in the overstuffed chair in his office.  I had decided to accept his invitation to come if I ever needed to talk.

“This is sacred time--your time--protect it.” he said. “Well-meaning people will try to rob you of this time by trying to make your sadness go away. Don’t let anyone tell you how to grieve. Grieve the way you need to grieve, but remember,” he said, “we need to claim every little bit of healing.” I couldn’t imagine what he meant.  It had only been two weeks since my daughter Tara had died. I doubted I would ever be well again.We think of healing as complete restoration to a previous more desirable state.  I knew nothing would ever be the same now that Tara had died. 

The problem with healing is that it can be hard to recognize when we see it. Maybe doubts about the authenticity of healing have been influenced by images of television evangelists, shouting, “Heal!” inspiring the questionably lame to rise.

I suppose it would be easy enough to claim healing if a miracle occurred.  That kind of healing would be hard to miss. It’s  true Jesus raised a girl from the dead, telling her shocked family she had only been sleeping. (Matt: 9) I hardly thought that was going to happen in my case.

Father Mike saw my confusion. “Bunny, didn’t you tell me the first time you tried to go out of the house, you only made it to the mailbox before you had to turn back?” he asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

“And didn’t you tell me the next time you tried to leave the house, you only made it around the block?”

“Yes,”

“Well Bunny, today you’ve made it all the way to the church.” he said, slowly emphasizing each word, “And…you are wearing a red dress!”

Remember to claim every little bit of healing.

Photo by Grace Gilchrist

 Reflections:


The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing... not healing, not curing... that is a friend who cares.--Henri Nouwen



Psalm 34: 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.


--Is there a place in my life that wants to be healed?


--Where can I claim a "little bit of healing?"


--Grief is about loss.  Have I known grief in my life? Who or what helped ease the pain? What is my grief like now?