Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 (NKJV)
There’s a small orchid plant sitting snug in its base by our kitchen sink. My husband keeps pointing out the slow progress it’s made over these winter weeks. What started as five green buds tightly shut has transformed slowly, opening into a beautiful arrangement of white flowers with delicate pink centers.
I’ve watched this growth while struggling with crippling anxiety, battling against my mind as I grip tight to the Truth of God’s Word. These petals blossoming in the bleak winter remind me that like these little buds, I, too, am coming into something good.
When it comes to healing, it is often slow, even imperceptible. Yet we can watch and wait and notice the small changes.
In my healing journey, I’ve noticed a few things:
1. Healing takes time.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 says: “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; …”
Like the orchid coming into bloom, God often accomplishes His work on an organic, day-by-day timeline. Many times, we don’t even notice the changes until we observe that something is different - we have a little more energy, our thoughts seem a bit clearer, or we’re able to get more good work done without feeling overwhelmed.
2. Healing is not linear.
Psalm 147:3 tells us God “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds”. He will bring healing one way or another, but it is not always a continual upward trajectory. Decline and ascent, doubt and belief, worry and wisdom - duality weaves within the waiting, the living. If you feel down one day, this doesn’t erase the progress you’ve made.
3. Healing happens in ways we may not be expecting.
Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us our ways and God’s ways are not the same. Look at where God has brought you, look at His presence and hand in your life, and lean into it. Healing is happening, though the way it looks may surprise you.
Whatever your journey, here’s the core of it: Healing points to the Healer. Ultimately this is where our hearts land if we search for Him in the suffering and seek to dig to its root. God is our anchor, our sunlight, our reminder of what - or who - matters.
No matter what healing looks like, God is in the middle of it all.
Father, I am tired of this healing journey. Sometimes it feels like I’m not making any progress. Remind me that You are the Healer who brings growth and recovery in unexpected ways and that this is a process, not a one-time event. I’m trusting You for my healing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
- Sarah Freymuth
Provided by "Proverbs 31 Ministries"