We Can Heal Another
One surprising tidbit I received with curiosity on our original Marriage Encounter weekend was - couples receive the gift of healing through the sacrament of marriage. We were already married for 7 years and I had not noticed any healing gift within me.
Over the years, I gradually grasped this powerful teaching, as I grew to understand the full meaning of healing. The message, I came to understand, is that each individual, in a marriage, come to the marriage broken in some way, each spouse is in need of healing. Through their love for each other, they grow to risk being vulnerable, acknowledging and sharing their brokenness and through their love each spouse is healed.
An example may explain it better. I remember one young lady sharing how she grew up in a family that dealt in illegal drugs. Her father, in drug induced stupor, would abuse her and her siblings, even to the point of ‘prostituting her as a young girl’ at times. Her descriptions were graphic and painful.
A young neighourhood boy was aware of her plight, yet grew to love her over the years. Once she attained the age of eighteen, he came for her and married her. His love healed her of much brokenness and trauma, that at the time of her relating her story to us, they were the loving parents of two children.
While this is most likely to happen within a loving trusting married couple relationship, it is not exclusive to marriage. Once we can bring certain human qualities to a caring relationship, healing can take place. I believe some characteristics of a healing realtionship are:
A faith in the possibility of the impossible through Jesus Christ - allows one to possess the qualities of loyalty, watchfulness and courage to heal another.
A hope grounded in Jesus Christ that each life is precious in his sight and is destined to be saved. The ability to persevere despite setbacks.
A love from Jesus Christ bringing humility, compassion and empathy to the relationship.
A presence that fosters true connection and understanding deeply from the heart through genuine dialogue.
A prayer that leads to an openness to Jesus’ healing touch, affirming the presence of God to inspire hope and alleviate anxiety. Prayer is an instrument of healing.
Our loving care for another can be a healing presence in their lives.
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