The aftermath of this type of warfare that persons fall prey to is anything but a place of hope, restoration, healing, mercy. When a hurting /devastated person finds themself caught up in this type of combat, the result is not only a continued lack of hope, (a deferred hope), but disillusionment and a sense of deeper despair and separation from God. Their pain and wounds continue to frighten them and torment them. They continue to lose whatever self-esteem they have as they sink deeper into a very dark pit of which they have no ability to get out of. Discouragement. Eventually they lose all hope that they might get out of that pit. They just continue to live life shattered basically - in all these little fragments and remain unable to find their way. They give up, they lose their hope. It's called existing (I guess).
SO SAD.
I have walked alongside sisters who have had their faith completely shattered and broken, being in the line of fire so to speak. They have went to those whom should be speaking hope to them and like a first aid attendant, offer some precious ointment to them in their wounded state. Nurturing. But this is sadly not the experience of all.
It's amazing how deep and painful life can get for some. How far away one can travel from the true heart, mercy love and compassion of our God, and yet think they are sent by God, as an able minister of the gospel. Survival for those who end up on these battlefields becomes nothing more than a painful existence they succumb to. They ultimately detest themselves and what they feel they are forced to endure. They detest God, the one whom they have turned to and desired to know and love in the midst of their pain. They turned to God in their deep brokenness, and became vulnerable towards him, (do you know how much courage that takes) But the result is that the understanding given thru these so called 'ministers' was that God was not really interested in their suffering. They believe instead that God continued to berate them and be annoyed with their sense of failure and inability to get "life" together. It's a tragedy (can't find a more meaningful word but that will have to do) but it's a tragedy what is done in the name of God to others.
To describe it therefore as a combat zone or a battlefield seems appropriate.
first aid : HOPE
What I think we all need to have IS hope, to be offered hope continually in our lives.
We have so much hope when we truly know Him. The only way we can offer another HOPE is to have it nestled in our hearts :-) I have said it before in my posts and in my chatter to others, and yet say it again: the one thing that we ALL continually need to receive and give is hope. It needs to be a constant. In the psalms David often talks about his abiding hope in the Lord. (Check it out; David waited continually for God's hope: And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope [is] in thee. ps 39)
Along with hope, we need to be nurturers, we need to wash each others wounds and gently and carefully wait on the Lord, hear the Lord's heart and compassion in these moments. WE won't understand their pain completely, but that's ok. Nurture someone's faith wherever it's at. Give them a little spec of hope.
We need to be like Him and ask Him, Lord help us to be like you! We don't want to fail to possess the fullness of who He is, and why He came. The fullness of the hope that He has dispersed in our hearts: because He lives and Has come to us in our brokenness . To heal the broken hearted and to set the captives free.
Once we truly grab a hold of the heart of God, we see people so differently. No matter what condition they find themself in. We see them thru His eyes of hope and our faith soars, knowing that He has come and He is faithful! Him in the midst of the battle fields of life (yes those even impacted by the Holy Hand grenade launchers).
Our hope continually gives us tremendous opportunity to express and speak into one another's lives (perhaps listen more than speak, just as important ) Listening gives us a chance to get our hearts set on the deep hope that is before us. Before them. But in any event, true hope that has come from Him and found it's way into our lives like a ray of sunshine in the midst of forty days and nights of rain!
Hope will find a way to be expressed. This is a part of the true life of Christ and His character, His likeness, when He is living deeply in His people and reaching out from that place to another.
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