“I had a little accident. It’s no big deal,” my husband reassured me. He was home early from work with his forearm wrapped in white gauze. Beneath the bandage was an ugly, blistering burn.
I started to call his doctor, but my motorcycle-riding strong-man resisted. He wanted home care. We cleaned the wound daily, applied antibiotic cream, and tightly layered fresh bandages to keep germs out. But by the third day, it looked worse; the skin around it was red and warm.
A trip to the doctor confirmed an infection. As she cleaned the wound and applied a porous bandage, she told us the injury needed air to heal. This was a valuable lesson in wound care I would soon need for myself.
My wound came after a disagreement with a loved one. In her anger, she posted something hurtful and untrue about me on social media; it cut my heart deeply, triggering feelings of betrayal and shame. She took the post down, but the damage was done.
As with my husband’s injury, my first reaction was to cover up my pain. I put on a smile and went on with life. But underneath, I was devastated. I wrestled between anger and sadness, resisting the temptation to retaliate. The more I covered up my feelings, the worse I felt.
Infection of the heart set in, and bitterness took root (Hebrews 12:15). Everyone knew something was wrong. My words were angry, impatient, and sarcastic. I was edgy and suspicious, cried easily, and felt unmotivated to do things I once enjoyed. When my passion for writing and encouraging others faded, I knew I was in trouble.
One day, I couldn’t take it anymore. I collapsed in tears, my face buried in my Bible. I cried out to my heavenly Father like a little girl who had fallen and skinned her knees. Lord, please help me. I don’t want to feel like this anymore.
I remembered the doctor’s wisdom about caring for an open wound. I needed to give my heart some breathing room so the light of Jesus and a breeze from His Living Word could bring healing.
The Lord’s an expert in wound care (Psalm 147:3). Think about it. Those closest to Jesus had betrayed, wounded, and let Him down when He needed them most (Matthew 26). He was rejected and despised but still laid down His life for our sins (Isaiah 53:3). If anyone understands, it’s our Savior!
God wasted no time in revealing His truth to me. Though her actions were hurtful, my torment wasn’t the other person’s fault. Not really. The condition of my heart was the real problem. Pride and resentment were festering inside of me, infecting every area of my life. And I had made it worse by shutting everyone out, including God.
Healing began when I opened my heart to God, confessed my sins, and repented (1 John 1:9). God’s soothing mercy washed over me while His Holy Spirit went to work tending to my heart. It was time for me to release the unforgiveness that had been gripping me so tightly.
Honestly, I still didn’t feel like forgiving my friend, but obedience to God wasn’t optional here. He’s forgiven me for so much. How can I not forgive others (Ephesians 4:32)?
God helped me to finally move past the offense, and as I did, His peace restored stability to my emotions (Philippians 4:6–8). I went from being angry to looking for ways to show kindness to my loved one. I prayed, earnestly asking God to bless her. The wound healed, and my heart mended. And eventually, so did the broken relationship.
Do you have a wounded heart? Is there someone you need to forgive? Take swift action to prevent infection of the heart. Surrender that person to the Lord. Ask the Lord to help you. Then open your Bible and let His Word heal and refresh you. He promises to “restore you to health and heal your wounds” (Jeremiah 30:17 NIV).
He cares for you (Psalm 55:22), and He’ll care for your wound, too.
CHRISTINA KIMBREL serves as VL’s production manager. Once incarcerated, she now ministers hope to those held captive by their past and current circumstances while sharing the message of healing she’s found in Jesus.
