Prescriptions to Heal Your Heart and Soul

Do you ever get hurt? Do you ever need medicine? Do you ever feel like not finishing your prescription? I do.

Today I’ve been sitting in my writer’s studio pondering what I would write about today. It’s been two weeks since I published a post. Much has happened in those two weeks.

True Story Ahead

My soul hurts today…for lots of reasons.

Actually, my soul aches from festering wounds. I’ll admit being known as a socially-interactive encourager is difficult sometimes when you’re not feeling social, interactive, or encouraging.

My soul needed medicine; the only kind that works for this kind of wound. So I made an appointment with my Doc, and He listened to me.

Ever had someone truly listen to you? I mean, they listen without an agenda to interject their own feelings and thoughts or hurry you because they’ve deemed you’re taking too long to communicate what you’re experiencing?

I’ve experienced that kind of listening both on the receiving and giving end. News flash…that’s not listening.

After concerted effort to learn more about “real” listening and practice “real” listening, I’ve discovered it’s a rare quality to possess. Active and concerned listening is a gift we give others. It was given to me this afternoon.

My Doc didn’t interrupt me. He didn’t chide me to hurry up and get to the point because He had another appointment. He was completely present, patient, and polite. He absorbed every single sigh, cry, and expletive I offered up from the depth of my soul.

There’s a lot icky things people experience. I wonder what would happen if we listened to one another like the Great Physician listens to us.

I believe a lot miracles would happen. I think we think we know a lot of stuff about each other, but we don’t really because we’re too busy thinking of what we are going to say next.

If we actively listened, we’d be amazed what’s going on inside someone else’s soul.

The Cause of Injury

Want to know some things I shared with my Doc today? Okay, I’ll tell you a couple of things only because I want you to know you’re not alone. I also hope sharing my experience will inspire perseverance and hope when you hear what God prescribed for me.

My heart has been wounded by some important people in my life. My soul feels my heart’s pain.

So what kind of things caused this encourager to feel so injured?

• Being told I’m mean.
• Being told what I think doesn’t matter.
• Being dismissed from a conversation about a loved one before the conversation was even scheduled and discovering a direction was decided without including me and others who should have been involved in the decision-making process.
• Being told I’m harsh, insensitive, and judgmental.

Ouch!
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about being struck down, but not crushed. I meant every word in that writing. I’m sad I’ve been struck down again.

I started asking my Great Doc why I’m suffering. How come people believe they can crush my heart and soul and dismiss me so easily? I started wondering if I were all those horrible things and if what I think really doesn’t matter.

I admit, I verbally lashed out at one of these people. Not cool. I know.

Being struck down hurts. Sometimes we scream out from the pain of it. There are better ways to handle such digs. Unfortunately, sometimes in the moment, pain shoots forth like a torpedo and hits the target person and causes them an injury too. The battle begins.

Sometimes before these zingers zing too much, one person withdraws. This doesn’t mean they’re necessarily surrendering. My experience indicates they’re wounded and maybe a little wiser than they used to be.

In my 52 years of living on this planet, I’ve learned the hard way zinging others and being zinged by others actually injures everyone. No one wins. Everyone loses.

Prescription and Treatment

Are you wondering what action I took from the zingers?

• First, I withdrew (but not before sending some zingers myself).
• Then, I made an appointment to see my Doctor, and if you haven’t figure out yet who I mean by “Doctor,” I’m referring to Jesus.
• Next, I sat in a quiet room with Jesus and told Him everything. I mean, I didn’t leave out one thing I was experiencing, feeling, or thinking.
• Then I listened to Him. Just so you know, sometimes the medicine Jesus prescribes is hard to swallow. It’s called Truth.

His prescription for me:

1. Forgive (them and yourself)
2. Love
3. Don’t be rude
4. Be slow to speak
5. Listen to others like God has listened to me
6. Be kind and if you don’t know how, then learn what kindness means to them. Ask them.
7. Write

I’m learning my Doc’s prescriptions can be some of the most challenging treatments to follow. I’m also learning when I choose to take His medicine as prescribed and actually finish all of it, my soul isn’t just soothed; it’s cured. The wounds heal completely, and I’m healthier because I persevered to the end.

I admit there are times I’m unkind, rude, and judgmental. I’m sorry to anyone and everyone I’ve zinged. I also know sometimes others are unkind, rude, and judgmental toward me. I forgive you. I forgive me.

Emotional wounds are some of the hardest to cure, but like Michael Hyatt, “I believe each of us is more than we know…One of the ways we figure this out is by noticing what stirs us emotionally.”

Personally I have no magic pill to prescribe you when your soul has been wounded. However, I strongly encourage you to listen to your soul, go to the Great Physician and let Him listen to your concerns. Then whatever medicine He prescribes you, take it, even when it’s hard to swallow.

You’ll notice God also prescribed me to write. For years, He’s allowed me to just write privately in my journal (which I still do). But now, He asks me to expose myself to others through my writing and that’s much more difficult.

So, besides writing, looks like I have a few more things to do today in order to complete my prescription for today. I need to personally apologize to someone and find out what kindness means to him/her. No matter what, I won’t be rude, I’ll listen, and I’ll be slow to speak.

With that I say, please be very careful with your words, tone, and behavior. We need to build each other up rather than tear each other down.

P.S. God did answer me, by the way, why I’m suffering. He’s building my character! (Romans 5:3-5)