Full Circle
Elvis picked a great day to be born. As tourists and Memphians alike remembered the birth of the king, the Conlees remembered the birthday of Chris’s father, Larry, who died in August 2014. While Larry didn’t make a big deal of his birthday when Chris was growing up, now the date has more significance than ever before. Midway through January 8th Chris texted me regarding his dad’s birthday. As we reflected, I was reminded of the kindness of God.If you’re a person without any wounds between you and a family member, you’re a blessed exception. For the rest of us, I want to give us some hope. Chris and I have known each other for 25 years. If at any point in the first 15 years you’d asked me how Chris would cope with the loss of his father, my response would’ve been bleak. There was a lot of unresolved stuff.You might anticipate the rest of this blog to say they were able to sit down and talk through all of the stuff and everything was made right. Before you think, “Why does everyone else get a ‘happily ever after’?,” think again. That’s not what happened. Yet Chris would tell you today that the "father" wound he carried for so many years is gone.I remember a wise counselor telling us once that even though we asked for help, we can’t expect the other person to do the same. I want you to know that healing can occur, even if the person is unable to be an active part of the resolution. As a matter of fact, healing can still occur even if that person is now gone.[bctt tweet="Healing can occur, even if the other person is unable to be an active part of the resolution."]As Chris allowed the Lord to work on his heart, it actually opened the door for God to do a work in Chris’s dad. Chris sat down with his father before teaching his Overcoming that Voice series at Highpoint Church and asked his permission to share some things from their relationship as part of the series in order to help others. Larry agreed. It was actually through listening to that sermon series that Larry received salvation.God brought it full circle. He brought peace to Chris. It didn’t change the past, but it allowed Chris to remember it differently. From Chris’s healing, God birthed Larry’s healing… and the Lord constantly uses the journey itself as Chris helps others. Chris’s willingness to walk through the past also gave him the gift of not repeating the cycle with his own son. I’m not sure which gift is greater![bctt tweet="God never wastes a wound."]We constantly say that God never wastes a wound. It’s 100% true. Whatever your journey, God can give it a redemptive purpose. Even greater… I want you to know that no one stands between you and healing. Your wound can be healed. I’ve seen it first hand.Healing takes work. It takes a willingness to move beyond the surface. It takes a willingness to be vulnerable. But the return cannot be measured. It’s easy to make every excuse as to why now is not the time, but the gift you give yourself may bless others beyond your wildest imagination.What’s one step you need to take to move toward healing? Tell someone you know so you have the accountability to move forward. Then take it… one step at a time.