Healing is a choice.
My pastor told a story on Sunday about preaching at a revival in Maryland, many years ago. He said that during his visit, he took a walk with the pastor of the church he was visiting, to the Battlefield of Antietam. That spot marks the single bloodiest day battle in American history. There 22,717 men killed, wounded, or missing when the battle was done.
As they walked around the area, the other pastor pointed to the houses that had been built around the area. Almost every single house had members in it with cancer.
As it turns out, the tens of thousands of bullets that were shot during that battle, settled into the ground, and scientists believe, into the ground water. The bullets were made of lead.
Over two hundred fifty years later, the bullets shot so long ago, are still killing and wounding people.
I suppose that’s not too surprising, because our hearts work the same way.
We can carry around hate and hurt for generations allowing it too, to slowly kill us if we aren’t careful. We can pass down anger and distrust that stem from situations so far back we don’t even remember. Things like, someone refusing to go to church because of some hurt from the distant past, can keep the next generation out of church too. Racism can get passed down from generation to generation. Distrust of authority, because it was abused at some point, can get passed down to future generations and hatred of police officers is born.
Sometimes those festering bullets can be a little more recent. Sometimes something was done or said to us personally, as children, and we are still allowing ourselves to be poisoned from them, carrying around pain and anger, refusing to let it go and let it heal.
But, walking around hurting, hating, distrusting, and angry ,is not God’s plan for His children. Jesus offers us another way.
He is willing and able to heal anything that we bring to Him, no matter how old or new those bullets may be.
Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 12:28-30
We know that carrying around unresolved anger and pain causes all types of stress and even physical sickness. Those people who lived in Antietam probably didn’t know the physical danger they were in. They probably didn’t have a choice until it was too late.
We do. The question for us, is are we willing to be healed? Are we willing to remove all of the bullets? Jesus always gives us a choice.
A Civil War battle reminded me. Perhaps you need reminding too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂