Words That Wound and a God That Loves

Most of us know the feeling of words being sent towards us with intent to cause harm and being as sharp as a lion’s tooth.

© Xavier Marchant | Dreamstime.com

I remember the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I chanted that saying often as a child, a child ridiculed by classmates and even “friends.”

Reflecting on that saying, it simply is not true!

Words hurt.

Words wound.

Words leave deep scars that sometimes never seem to go away.

I remember many times growing up when I was wounded deep with words. Not only from classmates and so-called friends, but also from family. I have a few instances that I remember clearly, as if they just happened. I remember incidents where I was left feeling as worthless as trash tossed to the curb.

When you think about this pattern of verbal abuse, and then add to the mix a virtually non-existent display of verbal affirmation and physical affection, it starts to get really dangerous.

This kind of childhood can have devastating effects on a life.

When I entered my adolescent years, I had very little self-confidence in public and I battled feeling worthless even in my own heart. I did not feel worthy of much at all, if anything. I didn’t care what I looked like; I wore dark and baggy clothes, I just wanted to fade into the background unnoticed.

It took a long time for God to show me His love, or more accurately for me to see and feel His love. I think it was hard for me to feel God’s love because I remembered feeling completely unloved, at times, by those closest to me.

God pursues us, though! He was actively pursuing me. He had a plan for me. He gave me a life-giving community of believers through a local church. I began to grow. I began to gain confidence, through Christ. I remember conversations where life was being spoken to me.

Then, God gave me my husband. We met when I was still in high school. Honestly, it could have ended differently! I was fully captivated by him as soon as he started showering me with his love. Thankfully, though, this was part of God’s redemptive plan for my life!

My husband and I married. He continued, even more so, to show me his love and affection. While at the same time, God continued to faithfully open my eyes more and more to His glorious love for me.

I felt truly loved.

I felt like I had value and worth.

God uses our difficult and trying times for His glory and our good.

I would never have thought that God could bring me as far as He has, and I am not a finished work yet!

This is just one more way that I see God’s wonderful works in my life.

I know that it is not easy to see the bigger picture for our life when we are faced with trials and suffering. But there is a bigger picture. There is a reason. Don’t lose hope if you are living in the difficulty right now. God is with you!