A Healing Journey:
The Work of Recovery!
Scripture: Mark 5:41–43
I had surgery once to repair
the ACL in my left knee. The orthopedic surgeon completed the actual surgery in
less than three hours. Under the influence of anesthesia, I was at the mercy of
the expertise of his scalpel. I did nothing. It was when I met the physical
therapist that my work began. I thought the therapist was being brutal by
giving me painful exercises, but his goal was to help me regain a range of
motion so that I could walk, run, or even dance if I chose. When God heals us,
there is work that we must do.
When Jesus healed Jairus’s
daughter, He gave her parents an assignment that would support her recovery:
“He strictly ordered them that no one should know this [her story] and told
them to give her something to eat” ( v. 43). With His great sensitivity Jesus
wanted to protect this young girl from being objectified by the curious mob. We
too need great discernment as we share about God’s healing work in our lives.
The popular trend of telling all is not always wise or therapeutic. Seeds of
new life need time to germinate without exposure.
Feed her, Jesus said. Nourish
her body so she can recover from the ordeal it has endured. Tending to our newly
healed wounds is necessary. We may need to change old habits, add new rituals,
and embrace things that can sustain our well-being.
Today ask God to show you
what you can do to sustain your recovery. Write those things down. Partner with
the enabling Spirit of God to do this work in you: “Spirit of God I invite you
to fill me that so my appetites and my actions move me toward wholeness.”
Visualize this partnership
throughout the day.
Prayer: Lord thank you for upholding me, and
offering me wholesome options whenever I am tempted.
The Reverend Joanne Browne Jennings
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