WiseWords – Page 13

“Sticks and stones…?”

Have you ever broken a bone?

The bone on my left pinky got broken when I was 9. It got stuck in the hinge of what could’ve been 8 or 10 feet of solid acacia door. My fault. I stifled a cry, the nail died a slow death but I healed fine.

I also have TMD (temporomandibular disorder). My best guess is it’s an injury from the vehicular accident I was in when I was 4. A panicky passenger with leather shoes stepped on my face as I laid partly conscious. It got me pinned between what was either the ceiling or the floor of the bus my pregnant mom and I were in. My mom and I (and my sibling in her tummy) lived through that day.

My left wrist snapped when I was training in MuayThai in my mid 20s. These days, when I spin my wrist, it makes a clicking sound. Pretty cool.

I wasn’t hospitalized for any of those injuries, no casts, no medications whatsoever. So I Googled up to check whether or not it’s true that bones grow back. I found this one from LibreTexts.

Meanwhile, while the nursery rhyme “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me,” negates the possibility of getting injured by words, I differ.

Words have power. Words can cut deep. Words can spark revolutions. And words…

“…and words are all I have to take your love away…” -BeeGees

On Forgiveness

“Oh, you never really love someone until you learn to forgive…” – Ben&Ben, ‘Leaves’

Have you ever had to forgive someone?

Have you ever needed to be forgiven?

What does forgiveness mean to you?

There is no true, lasting peace without forgiveness.

While forgiveness doesn’t excuse one from the consequences of his or her wrongdoing, forgiveness transforms one’s perspective from victim to victor.

Forgiveness is a gift deeply sought yet not as easily and freely given. Nor is the need for it readily recognized.

It is only when we see the depth of our selfishness and wretchedness can we be truly grateful for another person’s sacrifice on our behalf.

Please bear with me. I do not want to guilt-trip anyone nor sound high and mighty. Figuratively speaking, I’m just as bad as the next criminal on death row.

While the pursuit of holiness, of purity in my inmost being, has become a daily thing for me, it wasn’t always the case.

It wasn’t until my heart understood the depravity of sin that I started taking a U-turn towards God’s design for my life.

I was the woman caught in adultery.

I was the woman at the well, never married but had several husbands.

I was the lame man who missed several opportunities to be healed because nobody helped me get to the water when it stirred.

I was the blind man, who called out His name so I could see.

And, by grace, I’m the Samaritan leper who came back to thank Him.

He forgave me even WHILE I was – and still am – a sinner.

He gave his life as a ransom for mine.

He shed his blood on the Cross to wash my scarlet robes.

He took each whip, each insult, on my behalf.

Oh, how much like heaven would earth be if we each admitted our dire need to receive forgiveness from the One who gave His all, once and for all? And then, just as freely as we receive it, we freely give it away?

But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 BSB
https://bible.com/bible/3034/rom.5.8.BSB

Father God, please help me to freely love and forgive others, just as You have loved and forgiven me. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.

“Your value is not in your usefulness.”

I first learned about J. S. Park thru a typewritten quote.

Chaplain and author J.S. Park’s posts resonate with me in a way that is neither hardcore nor lukewarm. His posts remind me of my humanity and how I can love people exactly for who they are, where they are, beyond any biases.

“Your value is not in your usefulness.” J.S. Park