Healing all the broken pieces

“He personally bore our sins in His (own) body on the tree (as on an altar and offered Himself on it), that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.” I Peter 2:24 (Amplified Bible)

Healing has been an intense theme in my life since I was in my early twenties. I sought God out for healing from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, severe adhesions, bladder and kidney problems, hemophilia, a brain aneurysm, broken relationships, infertility, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS)…the list goes on. This list might sound meager perhaps compared to yours. Or you may be wondering how in the world my list got so long. But truthfully I am no different than most women. We are each broken vessels, in one way or another, that need to be healed. God has healed many of my physical ailments, though not all. God has put His hand on my heart and my emotions and comforted me many times. What He has not healed me from, He has brought me through and shown me how to use it to help others. He has helped heal all the little cracks inside that used to let my joy escape…and now I am able to hold joy even during the times when my circumstances look seemingly impossible to be joyful about.

We were all born into a sinful world, not of our own doing, and as we walk the path with God or apart from Him, healing is what most people seek. We may call it other things, such as: striving for success, seeking financial freedom, longing for love relationships or ‘reaching for the stars’ but when it comes down to the core of each of these things, what our heart cries out for is fulfillment through spiritual, emotional, mental or physical healing; For if we feel the need to be better, greater, more fulfilled, then we must surmise that we are unfulfilled, incomplete – empty or broken – in one or more of area.

God’s Word tells us that Jesus died for our iniquities. He died for the places inside us that are broken. He died as a sacrifice for our sins and out broken parts. He died to heal the inner-most parts of who we are – the parts that are broken and hurting – that we might be restored and returned to His arms. Because of our hurts most of us attempt to fill ourselves up with things of this world. Many of these pursuits involve sinful tactics and selfish actions to achieve a desired status or recognition. Or they involve filling us with fruitless pursuits that may or may not garner us self-satisfaction, higher wagers, better titles, more accolades. If you’ve come to a place in your life where you realize that the pursuit of all these things is truly is fruitless (bearing no fruit, reaping nothing of substance, lacking in daily nourishment.), then perhaps it’s time to step back and reassess.

I don’t have the answers for your life but I know the One who does. I know that if I pursue God and His path for me rather than what the world expects of me, then I am fully nourished. I don’t feel lost, hungry, empty or afraid. I do feel excited, eager, encouraged, ready to wake up and see what God has next for me…and even when I do feel trepidation or nervousness over what He might expect me to do, I know I am not alone. Where He asks me to go, He will be with me.

If you seek God, you will Him and the path your heart truly desires. If you ask for forgiveness for wasting time, spinning your wheels and letting the world dictate who you should be, He will give it to you. And more importantly, you’ll begin to have healing and fulfillment like you’ve never had before. You are a vessel for God’s love. If you’re broken, allow Him to take you in His hands and heal you. A cup that has cracks in it won’t hold anything for very long, especially joy. God can repair those broken pieces and put you back together in a mighty and beautiful way. I pray you allow Him to.

For more inspiration, check out the book “PMS ~ Praising My Savior” A 28 day devotional for women.

To schedule Karen for a speaking engagement go to Womaninspired.com

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Have you ever?

Have you ever...played that game that preteens and teenagers play called, "Have You Ever?" It's a pretty simple and silly game but with pretty profound effects. It puts more than a bit of pressure on those playing to come up with something from their meager years to brag about and see who else has not done it. It's basically a competition to see who can best the rest of the group. "Have you ever....kissed a boy you didn't know?" Have you ever....shoplifted?" Have you ever...smoked pot?" Not only can it offer a pull towards exaggeration and lying, it can also plant seeds about what someone else might think is 'cool' to do or awesome to try out!

I prefer a different version of the game...one that is filled with hope and lessons for the Lord. It's more of a spiritual enlightenment or thought provoking kind of a "Have you ever..."

Have you ever....
Woken in the morning and gone straight to your knees in prayer?
Have you ever....
Been so filled with the power of the Holy Spirit that you could not contain your laughter?
Have you ever....
Cried until all your tears seemed to be gone? And felt the presence of God with you?
Have you ever....
Been so hurt by someone that your very soul seemed to ache...and yet forgiven him or her anyhow?
Have you ever....
Made a choice knowing precisely that it was the correct one...and felt peace like you had never felt before because you knew God must surely be pleased?
Have you ever...
Spent an hour just reading your bible...for the heck of it?
Have you ever....
Stopped and helped someone without asking for anything in return and not telling anyone else that you did it?
Have you ever....
Chosen to forego your own time, your own desires, your own wants...in order to help someone else or in order to give to someone else?
Have you ever...
Gotten completely silly? Danced in the rain? Run barefoot in the grass? Skipped down the street? Threw water on a friend? Put food coloring in your pancakes?
Have you ever...
Seen a soldier or a retired military person and just thanked him or her for their service to this country? Thanked them for continuing to fight to allow us to live in a country where we are free to worship our God and proclaim the name of Jesus without the punishment of death or political persecution?
Have you ever...
Loved someone so much that you put his or her needs and wants before your own?
Have you ever...
Had a friend you could truly trust with nearly anything? And proved to him or her that you could be trusted just the same?
Have you ever....
Told someone else about Jesus? Witnessed to someone in a public bathroom? At the store? At church? To your neighbor? To a stranger?
Have you ever...
Thanked God for the good, the bad, the forgiveness, the grace, His word, the love, the family, the friends...that He blessed you with?

If you have not done any of the above, then I challenge you to start with your list today....You will not regret it. More importantly, He will bless you for it.

Karen

www.womaninspired.com


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Hope in the Almighty

When the air is hard to breathe,
not because of the world outside,
but because of the hurt within,
I have to close my eyes,
envision truth thru God's eyes
and not let the heaviness win.
Like a leaden anchor hoisted upon my chest,
the days' weighty issues
bare the realities of my stress.
Stretched to the bounds without limits;
dashed, crashed and overloaded...
yet with Hope in The Almighty,
my faith has not given up,
given in or folded.

Karen McCracken
www.womaninspired.com

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Refuge and refueling

“For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will set me high upon a rock.” Psalm 27:5 (NIV)

There are days I want nothing more than to run and hide. Whether due to stress or emotions, there are days I just want to curl up in bed with the covers over my head. Those are the days I’ve learned that I need to seek God even more.

Some days there is no actual trouble I’m hiding from. Sometimes it’s just the world around me and the daily “to do” list that has me seeking shelter. In today’s culture women have even more titles than ever before: home-maker, bread-baker, seamstress, maid, taxi-cab driver, Mom, daughter, wife, care-giver, professional…add to that the tasks of balancing the household finances, volunteering at church and keeping up with all the little pieces of life in between and it’s no wonder so many women are worn out and empty-feeling.

If you’re tempted to retreat from life and all those responsibilities on a regular basis then I encourage you to immediately fall to your knees or rest your head for a moment as you close your eyes and seek God for that place of spiritual refuge. Even if it’s only for a moment or two, God can overcome your heart and your weariness with a fresh message from the Bible or just a whisper to your heart.

And then I encourage you to do what took me waaaay too many years to do: take time for yourself. Set up regularly built-in breaks for yourself. Take time to read, go to lunch, go for a walk or just pamper yourself. God-time and personal respite time will make all the difference in your daily life; whether your hormones are telling you that you do or do not, you DO deserve it.

Feeling like you’re Running On E’, check out the following book for inspiration and encouragement on how to fuel up the right way! Running On E’ (now available as an Ebook and on iTunes)

For more devotionals, check out 28 days of PMS ~ Praising My Savior

Seeking Christian Spiritual LifeCoaching and encouragement along the way? See LifeCoachInspired.com

To schedule Karen for your next conference, retreat or ministry event, go to www.womaninspired.com