Refer to STEP 4: I came to believe that God understood my wounded-ness.
After reading yesterday’s entry, one woman offered the following observation:
Could we say this a little differently? Instead of trying to make someone who is very hurt right now say that God has a purpose for it, could we say that He might want to use this experience in our lives further down the road than what we can see right now. I’m not sure I could have seen or had hope that there was a purpose in it when I was in the middle of it. I’m afraid I would have been mad at God for letting it happen because of some big plan he had for my life.
She’s absolutely right. When I read the commentary, I knew I had to write a little more about the subject. When you’ve been abused, the most important thing to do is take care of yourself emotionally. This is especially true when the abuse has just occurred.
As I re-read my commentary, I realized I neglected to mention the importance of self-care in the healing process. Often, the hurt and pain are so severe and intense that just making it through the day is all you can do. If that’s all you can do, you need to be gentle with yourself and let that be enough.
In my own case, I spent nearly a year unable to do much more than take it one day at a time. So, if I haven’t been clear about this, let me be perfectly clear today: It’s OK to take care of yourself. In fact, it’s your most important responsibility. You not only owe it to yourself but it is also what the Lord wants you to do.
