Hidden Hurts

In the last few weeks, a fresh collection of tragedies have confronted us. There was the middle-aged couple in Colorado, talking through forced smiles about the loss of their home to a mudslide. “It only took 10 minutes to wipe out a lifetime of work and memories. But we will rebuild!”

An older woman in Washington DC spoke about the death of her husband at the naval yard. “He could have retired 7 years ago, but he really loved his job.” Fighting back tears she added, “He always said, ‘Goodbye beautiful. See you soon,’ when he left in the morning. I was truly lucky and blessed to find the human being I found in him.”

A father from Kenya described how he and his 2 young daughters were able to survive the mall siege in Nairobi by hiding under their car in the parking structure. A grenade landed several feet from them but fortunately didn't explode. “They were throwing grenades like maize to chickens. We're just happy to be alive.”

Their news stories are tragic and vivid, but fleeting. They become pictures of brave faces, voicing hope, frozen in time. The rest of us move on, but do they? By the time we've been on this planet 2 or 3 decades, most of us have experienced some loss or tragedy and know that healing takes time. We learn too, that often healing is incomplete and we continue to live with “hidden hurts.” We are survivors, but with scars of the heart that continue to affect the decisions we make and the way we relate to others, often for the rest of our lives.

We've discussed that physical healing was provided by God through Christ's death on the cross, but did you know that emotional healing was provided as well? Isaiah 53:4 states, “surely He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows…” Father God placed all of our emotional pain on Jesus because He wants to heal that for us too. He is moved by our hidden hurts.

On one occasion, Jesus saw a large crowd of people coming to him and “he felt compassion for them, for they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) Another time, Jesus was passing by the town of Nain, and came across a funeral procession. A widow, a complete stranger, was burying her only son. Seeing her grief, Jesus was moved with compassion and raised her son from the dead. When his friend Lazarus died, Jesus was so moved by the grieving of Martha and Mary (sisters of Lazarus) that he wept openly.

You may be thinking, “Well I can see how God would care about the emotional suffering of innocent people, but I am hurting about some big mistakes I've made. I can't blame anyone but myself, and that just makes it hurt more. My hurts are really hidden because I deserved them. I can't even share them with others.”

The emotional healing of your “hidden hurts” is just as important to Father God. No matter how much self-blame and remorse you may feel, Father God wants to heal you too. Jesus demonstrated this when He reached out in compassion to a woman caught in adultery and a hated tax collector. He offered each of them the opportunity of a new life free from past regrets. Their emotional healing was important. Father God wants to set you free from those hidden hurts that have scarred your heart, however they may have occurred.

Come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM as we continue our “Healing the Sick Series,” and focus on emotional healing. My son, Pastor Gabriel Ahn will be speaking on “A Beautiful Mind”. You are also invited to our 2:30 PM healing service every Sunday.

Pastor Che