STRETCHING PAST OLD WOUNDS

7/25/01

Hi Loved Ones,

A few months ago I jammed my right ring finger, which allegorically speaking is the pastor/teacher/elder/shepherd finger of the 5-fold ministry. For those of you not familiar with that allegory, it is said that the hand represents the 5-fold ministry in Eph 4:11-13:

"He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ." (NLT)

The little finger represents the teacher, one who highlights the tiny details of the Lord’s Word. The teacher is connected with and works in close proximity with the pastor finger, which is the ring finger. The pastor is married to the church and washes the bride with the Word, so that she will become without spot or wrinkle. He loves the church as his own body. The third finger represents the evangelist. It is the longest finger and reaches out to the world. The second finger represents the prophetic finger. This finger points the way, being a corrector and a director. The thumb is the lowliest finger of all. It is intimately connected with all of the fingers, working along side and enabling and strengthening the other fingers to grip and function. This represents the apostle finger and is a foundation to the working of the entire hand.

When I jammed my finger, I prayed over it, had it prayed over, went to the chiropractor to have it unjammed, went to the doctor to have it x-rayed, and continued to soak it in prayer. In the mean time, I splinted it with a q-tip and masking tape to protect it. I learned how to type using my third finger instead of the jammed finger and I learned to play the piano working around the q-tip splint. I wore the splint only when needed and used the finger to the point of pain. Now several weeks later, when I close my hand, I have a finger that looks like a broken duck wing. It sticks out at a 45 degree angle from the rest of the balled fist. So the doctor sent me to a hand therapist (angel in disguise.)

Yesterday she dipped my hand in a warm paraffin bath, wrapped it to preserve the warmth, later put balm on it, then massaged it. She managed to work it down to join the other fingers, so that it was almost completely united. She was very excited with this, since this was only the second therapy session. I wasn’t all that excited and told her that I had also worked it down to that point a couple of weeks prior to this, only to discover that a few hours later it hurt terribly and it was sticking out just as bad as before, stiff with my being unable to close it into my hand. She smiled patiently and explained why and what was happening and suddenly I saw the Word of the Lord as she shared. I love it when He talks to me in allegories!

She told me that scar tissue is like rubber cement. It is soft and pliable, but when it sets it hardens. You can stretch scar tissue and get it pliable and movable just like a rubber band. But later it will go right back to where it was, when it is immobile. If it is immobile long enough, it permanently hardens and then I would have a finger that permanently stuck out when closing my hand. She said that just like a rubber band, you can keep stretching scar tissue and eventually it will stay stretched and not go back to its wounded position.

When we become wounded, we turn to the Lord in prayer and to His ‘spiritual doctors’ or servants. Then when we don’t see immediate results, we turn to miscellaneous crutches that enable us to keep functioning in our pain. (A crutch comes in all shapes and sizes and is personal to each individual.) At first the crutch provides a measure of protection and rest from more pain. But later we begin to lean on it and if relied upon too long, it can give a false sense of stability or security. At that point the crutch takes the Lord’s place and it becomes an idol. Leaning on a crutch can eventually make someone stiff and unable to freely function in the Lord. This is because scar tissue around an old wound becomes hardened and non-flexible, permanently shaped around the crutch. Eventually the time comes when the Lord calls us to begin reducing then throwing away the crutches, and at the same time, He says, "Grow, stretch, reach out, extend your boundaries."

And you say, "But it HURTS. I keep flubbing up, I make messes, I bump into old wounds, and all these things keep happening that make old wounds stick out like a sore thumb. I am tired of wincing, I am tired of making others wince, I am tired, I am tired, I am tired."

And the Lord says, "Try anyway. Stretch through and past the pain. I have new beginnings for you. I want to bless you and extend your boundaries. But you must be willing to stretch and reach out. I know it hurts, but this is GOOD for you. I do not want you to be stuck in old ways, in old behavior patterns in your old life. Let Me dip you in a warm bath of My Presence. I will confirm your ways, strengthen and establish you. I will set you firm like wax. Then I will anoint you with My healing balm as I help you move and stretch and work through the pain. I will even distract you in the process, and we will have nice conversations so that you will not have to navel gaze and focus on the pain. And we will continue to work through these areas of pain, until you no longer wince. And one day you will join and work along side others and not stick out like a sore thumb. You will feel freedom of movement, you will experience the power of a united grip when joining with others, and you will have forgotten the old pain of yesterday!"

1 Chron 4:9-10 NKJV

Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain." And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested.

Lovingly,

Sandy