We all experience some pain or hurt in life. Be it from the loss of someone close to us or because we were laid off from a job we have for years. It could be something that happened two months ago, two seconds ago or two years ago but the pain still lingers and shows itself every now and then. What are we to do when it seems like the pain of past or present hurt clouds us and never lets us be free? We are supposed to allow ourselves to heal. Those around us encourage us to do it, the pastor speaks about it, Dr. Phil mentions it, yet we cannot seem to get a grasp on it in our personal lives. We sometimes look at healing and the process of it (I will mention more about the process later) as something that either happens right away or later on. So we deal with the pain and hurt in one or two ways (usually), we either suppress it or we try to rush it. Both are unhealthy yet it seems to be our go-to.

Either the pain we have experienced was too great that we cannot possibly bear it any longer that we decide to keep our feelings and emotions to ourselves and act like they are not there or we tell ourselves we are better than we were the day it happened and so we should move on because all is well. These are two methods of dealing with pain and hurt that we must reconcile with and take a different approach to. It can be said that healing comes to those who want it, I would go as far assaying I do not disagree. I think those who want to be better and feel better go after it no matter how hard it is.

But to be more sympathetic (because I did not always agree) I think we should look at our guide to wholeness, our bible's. If we turn in them to 1 Peter 5:7 we will read, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." Peter is telling the people of God that we are to go to God with our cares. He encourages us to cast our cares on "him", Him being God. When I think of casting something, I think of a fisherman throwing out a net into the sea to wait for the fish to come. The amount of force required for the net to go where the fish are, is a force stronger than a simple throwing of a fork into a sink ten feet away from you. It is a force that requires accuracy and knowledge of where the fish are.

We are encouraged to cast: throw something forcefully in a specified direction (by Google's definition). Simon Peter is telling us to forcefully throw our cares, the things that weigh us down and the things that make us loose sleep at night. He wants us to give them to Him and to find comfort in knowing He cares for us. Do you believe God cares for you? That in it self needs to be established in our hearts so that we can cast our cares on Him.

It is not always something I believe. Sometimes my flesh tells me that God does not care for me, especially after I have been disobedient or after I have sinned. I feel the weight of the world and God's anger and forget that He actually cares for me. How sad is it to be God in those moments? To be the Father of a child and know they feel like you do not care for them (even if it is only sometimes). God cares for us at all times no matter what and that is the truth we must tell ourselves each and every day He breathes a new breath into our bodies, God cares about me.

God cares about each of us. When we are healing it helps to know that someone cares. I will even go as far as to say, knowing someone cares makes the healing process go back a little smoother and quicker. My encouragement for us all is to really cast our cares on God while we are in our time of healing. The second task is for us to believe that Go truly cares and is not just sitting on His high horse looking down on us as we suffer. He wants to be there for us, we just need to invite Him in. He cares about what is hurting us and what is causing us pain. He cares about us healing properly, He cares, God cares.

I will leave us with a prayer,

Father I thank You for the many ways You love me and provide for me. Thank You for the many words of comfort You have given me in Your word. Wound You also comfort me, in my pain and hurt? Would I know You to be a Father who truly cares about His people? Would I see Your heart more clearly and know that You do not subject me to pain just to watch me suffer, there is no joy found in it for You. In fact, Father, You want me to come to You that You may care for me. Would I be able to think the unimaginable and know that You are not just a Father who watches as His child is hurting, but You are a Father that tells me to sit on Your lap while You comfort me and wipe away my tears. You are a Father that brings peace in the time of chaos and in grief. Would You help me cling to You in the middle of it all? Would I allow myself to heal properly with Your helping hand?

I pray and ask all of these things in Jesus' name,

                                                                             Amen