Spiritual Surgery

My shoulder ached. After a few weeks with no improvement, I thought it was time to seek some answers. A week later I found myself with the Physical Therapist scheduling regular visits. I kept hoping that one day I’d wake up and be pain free. 

Don’t we all feel like that sometimes?

Months went by. The shoulder continued to hurt. I wanted the truth to be different than reality. I wanted my arm to repair itself. To be whole once again without help from a surgeon!

It was not to be. I needed the surgeon’s skill to remove the obstacles to recovery. 

I think we face spiritual truth often with that same perspective: 

Avoidance. 

Denial.

Procrastination. 

Something is wrong in our lives, or causing pain in our hearts. It might be a relationship or a circumstance…and we want to deny the need for change. We hope the problem will go away. Or, if not, that the road to recovery will be easy. That the tension or difficulty will ease by itself. 

But then the day comes when the truth cannot be ignored, when we realize we need to have God’s gentle, surgical touch invade to transform our pain into healing. 

Even though I believe this, when God comes into my circumstances and my issues, I still struggle to allow Him in. Yes, the pain I’m in might be bad, the circumstances might be difficult, but I know it and understand it. I can fight it and deal with it on my terms. 

I prefer this path…my path…because following God’s path to healing sometimes is fearful. He often leads me in new, different, and unknown ways. Surrendering to the great surgeon of my soul requires an incredible amount of trust, because I must surrender my will and my “rights” to God and his ways. 

Here’s the funny thing: God's surgery might cause me some paint, but - if I’m in the midst of difficult circumstances or relationships - then I already have pain! I cannot erase it or deny it, hard as I try. It’s pain that will continue on unless I allow God – the Master Surgeon – to bring me through it and provide a heart recovery over time. 

So when we find ourselves struggling, we can remind ourselves that God’s touch of truth has the power to help us and heal us; to release us from pain into freedom and new life. Let’s not allow the fear of facing potential pain and change keep us from receiving all that God can give.

Let’s be willing to let our loving God perform the surgery we need, so that we can be whole.

Let me pray for you: 

Dearest Lord, thank you reminding me of a lesson about pain from my shoulder surgery years ago. I pray that that those reading this blog may feel encouraged to trust you, the Master healer. May your gentle, surgical touch illuminate your presence in their difficult circumstances or relationships, as you direct them onto the path of healing through Jesus. In Your Name, Amen.