This past summer while walking along a pathway, I came upon a bird, just sitting there. My approach did nothing to frighten it away and so I inched forward hoping to see it at a much closer range.

As I drew closer I noticed one of its wings was slightly off kilter and I concluded that must be why the little bird hadn’t flown away.
Something had damaged her little wing and she couldn’t fly away. She would be vulnerable to predators if she was to stay on the ground.
I drew closer to her and scooped her up without any resistance. She must have sensed I was there to protect her and that she didn’t have to fear me.
Now what do I do? I didn’t exactly have a degree in veterinary skills, and had no place to take her. So I brought her home, and put her in a box with a soft towel and sat with her, talking to her as she let me stroke her feathers.
As I sat there quietly sharing space with this little creature, my thoughts turned to the many women who are out there in the world who have been injured.

Life has injured some more severely than others. Broken bones, emotional and psychological bruises, and a hurting heart, some pain more easily identified than others.
The social stigma of being an abused woman haunts them, and so they remain in their silent prisons of pain.
Good intentioned people try to help to them, saying things like “why weren’t you strong enough to leave?”, or “ I knew there was something wrong with him, but I didn’t want to interfere”.
They have become masters at masking the pain that they are feeling, and so most people don’t know what is going on below the surface.

Standing in front of a mirror, they don’t see their reflection looking back at them, they hear the words their abuser spoke to them, you are ugly, your nose is crooked, your eyes too close together, you are fat, you should be lucky I am with you, because no other man would want you”.

Like ruts in a road that have been travelled over and over, the painful words have cut deeper and deeper. Even when travelling a new path, it is easy to slip into one of those ruts and remain captive to the evil words whispered in your ear
Many abused women who have suffered the emotional and psychological beatings would tell you that they wished they had suffered physical abuse, because at least a broken bone will mend eventually. The emotional trauma can last years beyond the reach of an abusers control.

Long ago, I sang the song His eye is on the sparrow. It is a special song for me, as I that was the first song I sang after coming back to God. I believed that God had His eye on me when I was out wandering in the wilderness. And I still believe that today, even when I have been wounded by people and circumstances.

The hardest part of healing is letting your heart trust again. It takes time, and only God knows the deepest most painful places in your heart, and only HE can heal them, in His time, not by any schedule that society has determined.

In order to replace the evil whisperings of the enemy, and the people the enemy uses to inflict the pain, I have to fill my mind with the word of God.

I especially love the 23rd Psalm for the words of comfort I find in them.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ….

Laminations 3:24
The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

2 Corinthians 3:17-
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

As I sat there, the little bird fluffed up her feathers a few times, and I watched in amazement as she hopped to the edge of the box and up onto the side. She turned and I am sure she smiled at me, as she spread her wings and flew high into the tree.

For a time, I had allowed her to rest, to allow her to catch her breath and have peace where there was fear. In that time of rest, she was able to have her strength renewed and once again, fly high above the ground away from the dangers that lurk in the shadows. Just like our Heavenly Father, who bids us to come to Him when we are troubled, and faint of heart.
We can catch our breath when the wounds inflicted upon us, have caused us to just sit there in stunned disbelief.

Isaiah 40:31 is one of my favourite because it says
“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Waiting and hoping and trusting in God when you are suffering isn’t the easiest thing to do. But the promise of God is that one day we will not grow weary, we will not faint, our strength will be renewed and best of all we will fly like eagles.

No matter what pain you are experiencing now, you can find rest for your weary soul. Relief from the pain of abuse, loss, and sin. Allow your heavenly father to scoop you up and sit in His presence to allow the healing to begin.

When the time is right, you will fly again.. When the pain has diminished, you will be able to feel your wings gather strength, and then you can fly up….up to where the sky meets the stars.

Forever and an eternity, you will be with the One who loves you so much, that He came and gave His life for you on the cross at Calvary.
Pam Lister
December 22, 2016