People can function daily, unconsciously as wounded souls. We wonder how this can be. This is because wounds are concealed in the heart, as raw sores. These are wounds that have not yet healed.
What does a wound look like? There are two kinds of wounds the physical wound caused by an injury that cuts or breaks the body tissue. While the other kind of wound is an injury to a person’s feelings or reputation. Both are wounds, yet one is more visible than the other.
I am addressing the emotional wounds, which are not so visible.
This kind of wound is experienced in the human heart due to the diverse ways we express our emotions to others and how others choose to receive, honour, or reject these expressions. To avoid really feeling the effects of rejection or hurt we protect ourselves by concealing the wounds.
We walk around with an injured heart afraid to be opened to love again for fear of being rejected again.
For example, when we feel rejected by those we expect to love and honour the love we give, we withdraw and unconsciously flee from giving love again. We become guarded and afraid of rejection.
The emotions we feel come from the heart and sincere emotions are not always rational, the love that comes from it can be all compassing and all consuming. A world gleaned from a wounded heart does not engage the world most healthily.
So, for the wounded heart to open itself to love again a period of healing and recovery will need to take place. We can do this by:
1. Reflection: Find adequate time to process your emotions and understand the hurt felt from a love not reciprocated. Take time out before you engage your heart into anything so emotionally charged again.
2. Relationship: Find a trusted individual in which to process in dialogue your hurts and pain regularly.
3. Self-Awareness: Identify your natural impulses and reactions when still dealing with wounds
Recognise when the wound is healed and allow your heart to love again.
As the heart is the ‘central wisdom of feeling as opposed to the head-wisdom of reason’ (Cooper,82). It is compassion and understanding, life-giving and complex.
As the heart is quite vulnerable scripture teaches, we should guard our hearts as ‘it is the wellspring of life ’Proverbs 4:23. We must guard the heart as it is extremely valuable, from it overflows into thoughts, words, and actions.
So, if our hearts are unhealthy, it has an impact on everything else.
Our hearts are constantly under attack. So, when wounded and we do not get healing it can become the seat of disappointment, discouragement and even disillusionment. (Michael Hyatt,2010)
It is imperative to know when your heart is wounded. Time and appropriate support are the key to healing these wounds.
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