Our Wounded Bodies and Hearts

Sometimes our wounds and brokenness are hidden, there is no outward appearance. The struggles and tragedies, pain and suffering are faced in silence.
I have had a TBI , traumatic brain injury, since 97 when I fell backwards off a ramp, my head bouncing off the concrete like a rubber ball. I began having grand mall seizures , memory loss, cognitive impairment and for an 8 month span of time the loss of movement in my legs. It has caused permanent severe post traumatic migraine syndrome. There are times when speaking, I loose my words, making it seem as though I am not as intelligent as one might expect. It took 8 years to recover from this accident. In 2005, I was struck by lightning leading to my second NDE. The doctors have said the TBI will be permanent but I have learned many helpful coping mechanisms over the years.
Not only have there been physical wounds but there have been wounds of the heart. There has been divorce, broken relationships, death, and various other kinds of woundedness. I have learned over the years that we are all wounded in one way or another. I have learned not to become a victim of my own wounds. I have learned that I have the strength within me to rise above the circumstances that life presents as tests. I have learned that I can move through my challenges and tragedies by reaching out and helping others move through the painful episodes of their lives. Doing this keeps me from getting stuck within myself. By remaining stuck in the power of my own pain and woundedness, I hinder my own growth. And I overlook the greater gifts inherent in my wounds -the strength to persevere, to overcome them and the lessons I was meant to receive through them. I have learned that my pain and suffering is a means to enter into the hearts of others. My wounds teach me how to be compassionate and wise and to treat others the way I want to be treated, with dignity and respect. And above all things, to love, the way God loves. For, His love heals all wounds.

Sharon Milliman (c) 2017