A few weeks ago a friend had to go into the hospital in Be’er Sheva for minor surgery. She had asked me to take her and I said yes, knowing that I’m the only one of my friends who has access to a car. I had no idea that the Lord had a healing of my own planned in the process.
In my mind I planned to drop my friend off at the hospital and do some errands around town and then pick her up when she was done. She told me that the doctors said she could go home that same day, so my plan seemed logical.
The morning of the surgery another friend called me who wanted to join us and I informed her of my plan. She was surprised that I wasn’t willing to sit in the hospital with my friend. I explained my plan to her very “matter of fact” and ended the conversation.
I then opened my Bible for my daily Scripture reading and the Lord replayed my conversation loudly in my mind. I was shocked at the selfishness and coldness that I had reacted with in the conversation I just had. I asked the Lord what this was all about and He showed me that as a young woman I had undergone two different major surgeries alone; once when I was in college and once when I lived in California. I lived far from home and so it seemed impossible for my family to be there. This resulted in feelings of abandonment and fear that had taken residence in my soul and that I was completely unaware of.
The friend that wanted to accompany us to the hospital had a completely different experience with family members in hospitals when she was growing up. Hospital stays were a time for family members to gather in support of the person being hospitalized. This was so foreign to me, yet with what the Lord was showing me, I knew this is what He wanted in this situation; in order to bring healing and redemption to my soul in this area.
I repented of my original ideas and plans and sat with my friend through the entire check-in and waiting process. I came to find out it was a great comfort to her, as she had some real struggles with fear regarding the surgical process.
God in His infinite wisdom knew this and knew that we as believers are family to one another and family needs to be there to support one another, both in good times and bad.
I’m so grateful to the Lord for having exposed this darkness in my soul; and for having given me an opportunity to turn things around and be a blessing to someone else in their trials in this area.
So often God is there to show us areas in our lives where He wants to heal us; whether they’re painful memories, wounds, unhealthy habits and patterns of behavior, etc… Our job is to be attentive to His still small voice and follow His leading, even when it’s into areas that are uncomfortable and even painful to walk through. He has our best interests in mind and He wants His children set free from improper attitudes and mindsets that come from our own dysfunctional life experiences.
What a great lesson I learned that day; and as a result there were sweet times of fellowship and support that will bond the three of us together in ways that are very special and Kingdom focused.
May we all be quick to repent of our own plans, especially those that come from soul hurts and may we continue to be transformed into the image of our beloved Messiah and Lord, as He leads, guides, heals and delivers us through the story of our lives.