The Wounded Healer

I had the opportunity to go away camping the other week with my good friend, Spencer.  It was a time to just recharge and also time get into the secret place allow God to speak to me.  One little book that I had with me was entitled,  The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen.  Most of what I'll be sharing comes from the truth I learned as I read this book.  One area of my life that I have been focussed on is learning to have conversations that create a deep human encounter. I'm learning what it means to be vulnerable  through my own light and darkness.  It's is the pathway to understand real compassion and to bring hope for forgiveness.   Here's one real moment of revelation I experienced through my reading.   

The wounded minister is the healing minister. Jesus' own broken body is way to healing. My own wounds can be a major source of healing power. Wounds like alienation, separation, loneliness and isolation.  Learning to feel these words help me to understand my own brokenness.  We all long for intimacy and belonging. Often though we do everything possible to avoid the painful confrontation of our own basic loneliness. We tend to be more prone to playing games with fantasy than to face our true existence. 

I need to go to the place of obedience to understand the calling sounds of my wounds

Henri Nouwen 

The place of obedience is found in the secret place of prayer.  I need to go to wherever I won't be distracted and where my heartbeat accelerates for the living God.  Oswald Chambers writes,

When we swing the door of our life fully open and pray to the Father in the secret place every public thing will be with the lasting imprint of God. 

So,  then what keeps us from praying? Pete Grieg,  head of the 24/7 prayer rooms says  often is a limited worldview and low self esteem.   We honestly forget just how much authority we have in Jesus' name.  

The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you.  Romans 8:11

As long as I think I'm self sufficient, I won't really ask God for anything significant.   It really isn't till we're desperate and in a corner that we truly discover the power of prayer.   As for me, I'll wave a white towel of surrender and keep being real in His presence.   I'll also keep keep trusting Him for the life changing encounters that have His fingerprints all over them.