The Power of Healing

For those who have been hanging around our Place Called Simplicity for
 any length of time you will understand the importance of this post.
Yesterday the kids, Dw and I drove to Buffalo to show the younger
 ones my old stomping grounds.  We stopped and visited old friends 
we had not seen in a dozen years.  
We drove by my elementary school and found the doors wide open.
I asked Dw to stop the car and ventured in….I walked the halls, remembering.
As I walked toward one hall a woman down the hall called to me, 
“Can I help you?”  
I told her that I had attended this school from K-6th grade and had not been
 back for probably almost 45 years.  
The tears brimmed and fell as I told 
how painful those years at home had been and how the school
 held such powerful memories. 
It turns out she was the principal.
I told her how painful home had been and how I could not believe all 
the strong memories that were spilling out as I walked the halls.
After we talked awhile, I mentioned how powerful her role was in
 ministering to the hurting kids who now walk the halls.  
She was so very kind and tenderhearted.
My tears just would not stop.
She welcomed me to come back any time I wanted and walk the halls.
So powerful.
A little later I called my dad.  
I asked if he was available if we could stop over.
The last time I had gone to see him, I wrote about it here.
Some of you may remember how that went.
This time though he was eager for us to come and told me to bring ice cream 
{which he would pay me back for} 
so the kids could enjoy some while there.
When we arrived, it was clear from the moment he opened his door
 that he was tickled we were visiting.
Over and over he mentioned how pretty Ruby was.
Ruby enjoyed Grandpa as well.

It did our hearts such good!
I am thankful for the love and power of God which heals,
brings restoration and reconciliation
{if we allow it}.
Almighty God is always so faithful.

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other,
 just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
 Ephesians 4:32

33 thoughts on “The Power of Healing

  1. Ok,,, Tears Rollin down. I had not read your earlier post about visiting your Dad… Until now… I can relate to so much that it is painful. Hugs to you my friend! God Bless you and I am so thankful your father saw all of those beautiful babies. *Tears*

  2. How wonderful for you to forgive and be able to move on. For many this is not as easy. What a powerful past days you have had. God held you up and helped you along.

  3. Dear Sweet Linny, you amaze me…your love and forgiveness for those who have hurt you…your obedience to our Lord… Beautiful pictures for you to cherish… Miss you friend!

  4. Linny,

    I just love you. That's all.

    I love your heart. I love your honesty. I love your tears too.

    Wish you were traveling by way of South Jersey. 🙂

    God bless you.

    Diane

  5. Your Dad looks so happy in the picture with all your children. I am so glad that God is providing restoration and reconciliation between you and your father. Your story gives me such hope for a very special little girl who is very close to my heart. It is my son's birth sister, Laura, who we have advocated for endlessly in two states far from our own. We also tried to adopt her for two years when she was ages two to four. She is now eight years old and we finally got to meet her for the first time last month along with my son's birth mother. Laura has been through so very much in the last eight years. She has stayed overnight at our house twice this month and God is definitely at work, although we have no idea what His plan is. I have been praying this last month for restoration for all that Laura has gone through these last eight years. Any prayers for Laura would be greatly appreciated. I know God loves her more than we do. Seeing how God has used your painful childhood for great good has given me hope for Laura. Thank you for sharing such personal things so openly!

  6. Thank you for sharing about your visit with your dad. I'm sorry that you've had such struggles and heartache over the years. I followed your other link, too, about your previous visit with him. Your talk in that post about the workers who helped you as a child made me think of the children at the VBS I'm attending this week with two of my treasures. I'm not a volunteer there, just a guest, because my five-year-old needs me with her every single minute. But there are several children who think I'm a teacher, and they keep cuddling up with me and confiding in me. One little girl, Kaitlyn, I'm positive is from some kind of difficult home situation like you describe, and she wasn't at VBS tonight. I'm wondering what she is going through tonight and praying for her, and your post made me feel just especially tender toward her this evening, sweet little flower. May God comfort her and protect her.

  7. I went back and read the older post. I am sorry! My husband had a very, very difficult home life, too! Praise the Lord for a good mother who did her best to shelter them from as many storms as possible. Unfortunately, she took the brunt of the storms instead. Thankfully history did not repeat itself and my husband turned out to be the most wonderful husband, father, son-in-law, son who visits the nursing home very frequently, grandpa and especially a Christian example to everyone he meets. Like you, he overcame it, it did not overcome him. He still has many emotional scars and apparently you do, too! I see them when other people don't. He feels inadequate and not smart enough and all the things that were drilled into his head by the domineering, loveless father. I am sorry! I am just thankful to see you healing! It is a long road and the joys of the children take you away from it a lot I'm sure. Our grans help my husband deal with his. Just remember "God will wipe away all tears."

  8. Thankful for a God of restoration… one who can pick up pieces and make a beautiful thing of them. Thankful for a sweet and joyful time that the enemy was unable to steal!

  9. I don't have the greatest relationship with my mother. I've tried to 'will' it to be a great one, but due to choices she has and is making there is a wedge between us. It's very strange to think I blamed God for it without know that I did, but that's what I was doing. Mother's Day is a little difficult for me and my sister's because of my mother's choices. This past Mother's Day I was praying/asking God, "Why did You give me the mother you did?" As clear as day He said, "It's not what I intended." We had a guest pastor at our church that very same Sunday and the first words she started to preach were, "The disfunction you experienced as a child 'was not what God intended'." The light bulb went on!! I GET IT NOW!!! Because of our human nature and free choice she is who she is, NOT because of God's choices for her!!! That was such a freeing moment for me. Since then I have quit trying so hard to make her be the 'good' person I want her to be. She is who she is. I love her very much and want nothing but great things for her! But I can't change her.

  10. Linny, what a beautiful showing of forgiveness! It is only through our Lord Jesus that we as believers are able to forgive after someone has hurt us SO badly. I'm very thankful to understand now, that forgiving doesn't mean that the pain someone caused is excused or forgotten but that it will not allow a root of anger and bitterness to dwell in our hearts because let's face it, we know that is not God's desire or will for us as Christ followers. What a wonderful example of this you are! Thank you for sharing your heart!

  11. Oh Linny, I am so happy you were able to walk the halls of your school & visit your Father! He does look happy to be visiting with y'all. I've had some sweet moments with my Dad over the last month. He is recooping in a nursing home/rehab from major surgery. He spent 2+ months with me & my family last year & left quickly after hurting us. It has been good to help him even though we had had such a rough time last year. He is very thankful & can't (for himself)tell me 'thank you' enough. Of course, I try to help anyone in need. I hope you & your Dad were able to share a few special moments with each other. I hope that just seeing him with your children helped your heart to heal even more. God Bless You!
    So is the trip bringing you to GA? I'll be floating between Metro Atl & Macon over the next few weeks.Hollar if your heading to the Peach State! Have fun making more precious memories & have safe travels as well.

  12. Wow! Praise God that you got to do what you did and that your visit with your Dad went so well! How does God know to use you to write a post so I may hear and heal too? I am attending SOZO training and it has been a powerful experience too! Janet

  13. Forgiveness and reconcilliation is so powerful. Praise god u were able to see the old school and remember. I didn't have a relationship with my dad until about 3 years ago. Now he is one of my best friends! I never thought I would be able to say that!

    Alicia "akgchina"

  14. Forgiveness and reconcilliation is so powerful. Praise god u were able to see the old school and remember. I didn't have a relationship with my dad until about 3 years ago. Now he is one of my best friends! I never thought I would be able to say that!

    Alicia "akgchina"

  15. Such beautiful pictures and your post was so touching. As a former teacher, I appreciate your words about how educators can really affect children dealing with difficult home circumstances. I know you blessed that principal as well, and I hope your testimony sticks with her as she begins this new school year. I pray when she meets with her teachers before school starts she speaks about considering each unique child and showering them with understanding, rather than statistics and percentages regarding reading and math scores. I pray your testimony infuses her with empathy when a teacher comes to her for assistance with a struggling student. That was a God appt. you had with that principal. I pray she is forever changed.

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