One Step at a Time

We live in a society that is what I call instant gratification. We have microwaves and fast food to get our food asap – as if we will starve if they are not there. We get frustrated when traffic is heavy, or lines are at the store because we feel we need to not be waiting.

This makes it hard to recover. Recovery from anything takes time. Imagine if you broke your leg and I told you to get up tomorrow and do 20 jumping jacks. That is not very realistic. Healing anything that is broken takes time. That includes emotional brokenness.

I will never understand how our world sees physical needs as more important and ok than emotional needs. Our brain inhibits our emotions, and it controls the whole body. Just because emotional scars cannot be seen does not mean they do not need to be dealt with and heal.

In fact, many illnesses are caused by our emotional scars and our “mental health” issues. Oh no, did I say mental health? That appears to be a taboo word in the world. If you are dealing with mental health, you must be a “crazy” person is what we are taught.

I carried that stigma for many years, and I tried to deal with only my physical ailments. Guess what happened? I got worse and nothing showed up on my “physical” tests other than fibromyalgia and some “guesses” as to what could be wrong.

However, as I began to address my trauma my physical ailments got better. Did it happen overnight? Nope. Did it happen after 3 months – not really, but it did begin to happen. As if I was recovering from a heart attack, or stroke, I took my emotional healing one step at a time.

That is all it takes to focus on getting better. Do not rush the process. What happens if I have major surgery and try to lift 20 pounds? I can pull out the stitches and cause more harm. The same is true with emotional healing. If you rush it then you will derail your progress and draw it out.

Taking it slow – as your brain and body can handle – is the best way to heal any ailment – emotional and physical.

Remember that friends, when you want your healing to be finished asap- as if you can zap it in the microwave. God will take you through the process of healing one step at a time as He provides people to help you. Then, one day you’ll look back and see how He’s guided your healing.

When I taught elementary school. one book I liked was “The Tortoise and The Hare”. They race and guess who wins every time? The tortoise, because slow and steady wins the race.

Take heart my friends, you can heal. Recovery is a marathon and not a sprint. Don’t look at the mountain up ahead, just look at the next step, and take it one step at a time.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.“ Hebrews 12:21

© 2021 Susan M. Clabaugh. All Rights Reserved.