Kids and band-aids. I don’t know what it is about those little strips that make the worst, (or most insignificant) hurts better, but kids love them. My youngest daughter uses so many band-aids that I have to hide them! She does everything she can to convince me that the tiny little dot on her knee is worthy of bandaging. If she does find the box, she will quickly make a huge mess of wrappers everywhere and her tiny cut will be covered with multiple band-aids.
As most parents know, for kids it is usually a matter of distraction to make the pain better. It is easier for them to focus on the band-aid rather than the wound. As we grow into adults though, band-aids stop being a good cure, at least as far as our hearts are concerned.
I would guess most of us carry some sort of childhood wounds into adulthood. Part of becoming a healthy adult is working to heal our hurts from the past. Sometimes those things are so painful though, that we put “band-aids” on them instead of healing them properly. These band-aids can take the shape of almost anything: work, substance abuse, shopping, eating, trying to control everything, (this is my band-aid of choice) etcetera.
It can be very difficult and scary to peel off a band-aid and really clean out an old wound. Everyone knows just taking off a band-aid can hurt. However, when we get to a point where staying where we are is more painful than the work we need to do to get healthy, we are ready. At this point it is a great idea to enlist the help of a close friend to walk with you as you start to flush out the hurts. Journaling is also a really great way to sort out the thoughts and feelings as they come up. I have filled many journals over the years and it is really encouraging to go back and see how far I have come in my journey through life.
Yes, the emotional work can be difficult, but the rewards are worth it. God will be right there with us in the process if we invite Him in. He will help us to uncover our brokenness so we can be made whole.
Psalm 147:3 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
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