healingforthebrokenDear God,

I am experiencing some kind of post-surgery sluggishness.  Although I was up by 8am, it took me the full two hours to get dressed and out the door to the 10am meeting with Workforce Development.  After the meeting, I went to Walgreens to find cough medicine as my chest cold is hanging on for dear life.  The between meetings hour and half was topped off with McDonalds lunch in Sarasota county parking lot.  Then 4+ hours of listening to the annual parade of government officials and other seekers of favors.  This always reminds me of the feudal system where Kings controlled everything…….not the same but a whiff of serfdom survives.

The weather this evening is gloomy and gray.  The temperatures are dropping and a dizzily rain is slicing the air.  I was so glad to get my clothes off of my bandage and stretch out on the couch for a long winter’s nap (I missed it on Christmas Eve!).  I watch my fav TV show – Ghost Whisperer – followed by Dateline and 20/20.  During commercials I read Merle’s Door – a wonderful book by Ted Kerasote about a dog (Merle) that found him and their ensuing relationship.

The 20/20 show was about a young woman named Katie Piper who was a model on her way to a successful career before she got involved with the wrong guy.  The beast of a man raped her and assaulted her overnight and shortly afterward arranged for someone to throw sulfuric acid in her face.  Katie almost died and she has been scarred for life both physically and emotionally but the story is about her amazing comeback.  And, although, she felt like a freak and didn’t want others to see her, You reached her and touched her and healed her and brought her back to life.  Now, she is working to use her life to help other burn victims.  Just like today’s gospel where Jesus healed the leper, Your healing knows no bounds and You are always ready and able to heal us anytime we are willing to be healed.

Many of our wounds are not obvious like Katie’s facial disfigurement or the leper’s leprosy.  More often than not we are wounded on the inside where the scars and wounds are hidden away from public viewing.  We often look “just fine.”  Sometimes the wounds are even hidden from our own view.  Who knows how many of us walk around looking as bad as or worse than Katie after her initial injury?  You, God.  You know.  Heal us all because only You can.

“Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it.””  Luke 5:13