"Healing What Still Hurts"

God doesn't ignore your pain-He heals it. This episode walks you through releasing hurt and finding true restoration. Healing isn't pretending it didn't happen...it's choosing not to let it control you anymore. You're not broken, you're healing. And that process matters.

Transcript

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Welcome back, guys, to Honestly Speaking, Alone Together, a place where real conversations happen. Life isn't always neat, polished, or easy, and here we're not pretending that it is. This podcast is about faith, grief, healing, truth, and the moments that shape us. It's about speaking honestly about the struggles we face, the lessons we learn, and the hope we find along the way. Some conversations may challenge you, some may encourage you, and some may simply remind you that you're not alone. So take a breath, settle in, and let's talk about the things that matter most. Hi, I'm Erin Sparks, and this is Honestly Speaking, Alone Together. So welcome back, you guys, to Honestly Speaking, Alone Together. I'm your host, Erin, and if no one has told you today, you are not alone, even in the places that still hurt. And this episode is called Healing What Still Hurts. Today we're gonna talk about something that people try to avoid, but silently carry. Healing from hurt. Not the kind you post about, not the kind you pretend you've already conquered, but the kind that still stings when it gets quiet. Let's be real. Some of us are walking around smiling, but inside we are carrying wounds that never got proper attention. The betrayal you never saw coming, the loss you didn't deserve, the words that cut deeper than they should have, the silence that left you feeling forgotten. And if we're honest, if we're being honest, some of us didn't heal. We just learned how to function while hurting. Let's pause there. Because functioning is not the same as healing. So we can be functioning, but still not healed. Healing is hard because it requires us to be honest. And honesty forces us to admit that hurt me, that changed me, and I'm not okay about it. And a lot of us were taught to be strong, keep moving, pray and push through, but nobody told us how to process the pain. So instead, we buried it. And what you bury doesn't die. You're actually nurturing it, actually. It waits. And healing isn't pretty. It's not going to be pretty. It's not a straight line. It's not overnight. Healing looks like crying when you thought you were done crying, feeling triggered by something small, sitting with emotions you try to avoid, choosing not to numb yourself anymore. And here's the truth, y'all. Healing is not God removing the memory, it's God removing the control it has over you. Let that sink in. You know, a lot of people invite God into their purpose, but not their pain. And I wonder why that is. You know, but healing begins when we say, God, this part right here, this is where I'm still broken. And scripture reminds us the Lord is close to the brokenhearted, Psalm 34, 18. Not the perfect, not the put together. And I got it all together and I'll figure it out. No, the broken. That means God is not intimidated by your pain. He's drawn to it. So let's clear something up. Healing does not mean, friend, what happened was okay. It didn't matter, or you just need to get over it. Healing means it no longer has permission to control your life, your actions, reactions, your responses. You can acknowledge the wound without living from it. You can also remember without reliving it. And you can also move forward without denying your past, friend. So here are a few steps, you know, not perfect ones, but honest ones. And you know, my motto I gave you in the last episode, you know, that God shared with me, and that is to feel, deal, and heal. So first we name it. Stop saying I'm fine when you're not. Name it. Then we need to feel it. Give yourself permission to grieve what you need to. Then release it through prayer, journaling, or talking it out. Guard yourself because healing requires boundaries. And be patient. Healing takes time, not pressure, not pressure. So now let's talk about something nobody really prepares you for. The moment when you thought you were healed, and then suddenly, bam, you feel it all over again. The sadness, the anger, the questions, and you start thinking, why am I back here again? I thought I was past this, but here's the truth. Healing is not a straight line. Sometimes it's layers. Sometimes God will allow you to revisit a place, not because you didn't heal, but because there's a deeper level of healing He wants to do in you. So what you're feeling isn't failure, it's actually exposure. And oh, how kind of God to expose the areas of hurt. It's God saying, now that you're stronger, let me heal this part too. Ooh, that's powerful. Oh my gosh. And I want to tell y'all, I'm in that place right now. Um, after my son passed away, you know, I had always always heard that grief opens up like a can of worms. A can of worms. And when I tell you that so many past hurts surfaced through his death, and you know, and and I look at look at that, and I'm like, God, you think I'm strong now? Like, I just lost my child. But this was the time for me to get all of it out, to feel, deal, and heal. And so that's what me and him are doing. We are feeling, dealing, and healing. So ask yourself, what still triggers you? What are you still avoiding? What do what do you still need to give to God for real this time? And friend, don't rush this moment because healing begins where honesty shows up. Now, I want to take you to a story in the Bibles, one of my favorites, because sometimes the best way to understand our pain is to see it through someone else's healing. And there is a woman in Mark 5, uh, chapter 5, verses 25 through 34. And the Bible says that she had been bleeding for 12 years. 12 years of pain, 12 years of discomfort, 12 years of being overlooked, dismissed, and drained emotionally, physically, and financially. She had tried everything, y'all. Doctors, treatments, solutions, and instead of getting better, she got worse. And if we're honest, some of us can relate to that. You tried to fix it, you tried to move on, you tried to pray about it. Or pray it away. Let's say it like that. But the hurt didn't just disappear, did it? But then she heard Jesus was passing by, and the crowd, y'all, was thick. People everywhere, noise, pressure, chaos, and this woman who had every reason to stay hidden, pushed through. Weak, tired, still hurting, but determined. And she said to herself, If I can just touch his garment, I'll be healed. Not a conversation, not a spotlight, just a touch. And the Bible says the moment she touched him, immediately she was healed. But here's the part that just uh it just gets me every time. Jesus stopped in the middle of the crowd, he stopped and said, Who touched me? Not because he didn't know now, but because he wanted her to know you are not invisible, and you are not either, friend. And when she came forward, trembling, you know, probably nervous, he didn't just heal her body, he spoke to her identity. He said, Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Daughter, not woman with the issue, not the one who's been hurting, daughter, and that's what healing does, y'all. It doesn't just fix what's broken, it reminds you who you are. So some of you have been hurting for years, I know, quietly, privately, exhausted, but today you don't need a perfect plan, you don't need to have all the answers, you just need the courage to reach for Jesus, even if your faith feels small, even if your strength feels low, your healing may not come from having it all together, but from reaching for Him in your brokenness. So wherever you are today, in the crowd, in the pain, dear friend, in the waiting, just reach. Because healing is still available even for you. So I thank you guys. You know, this is it's been it's been a long time coming. My healing. Um, you know, I was gonna let you go, but before I let you go, uh, of course I want to say a prayer over you for healing. Um, but I wanted to give a little personal segment as well. You know, healing can be messy, it can um pull a lot out of you, emotionally, mentally, physically. But I do know this: the areas that we want to keep, the areas that we want to hide, the areas that we don't want to bring to God, those can also cause us to remain stuck. Yeah. Remain stuck in cycles and patterns that we have. And God desires for us to be free, to be free and to be whole. And so if that is you today, and or even you may you may have suppressed some some issues, and I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to bring them to the surface so that you can be healed, healed, and then move on purpose with purpose. So in prayer, God, you see every hidden hurt, you see every silent tear, every place we try to ignore. So today, Father, we give it to you right now, in this moment, not the polished version, but the real raw pain. Father, heal what we don't have words for, restore what was broken, God, and teach us how to live free again. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. So if you're listening to this and thinking, I'm still hurting, I want you to hear me clearly. You are not alone, you're not alone, and you are not behind, you are in the process of healing, and it is okay to not be okay and still be healing. You are in the process, in the process of healing, dear friend, and that is one of the bravest things you can do. So until next time, remember that God loves you, and so do I.