The Work

I know...2 in one day...I should of mentioned that the introduction was one of a 2 part series...I will jump right in....

My daughter spends the summer holidays with her dad...For me it is a tough time, but I try to get stuff done...Basically I keep myself busy...One summer I decided...I wanted to volunteer at this "burn camp" for children in Rocky Mountain House Alberta. This camp caters to children who have suffered terrible burn injuries....and scars...This is a place where they can have fun, heal and not have to deal with those who have a hard time adjusting to visible differences...the sores and scars.

I want to interject here...God will use everything, anyone, all experiences to move us into position, to form us into the likeness of His Son...And for me this was going to be one of those experiences.

Well I go and apply to "volunteer", to only get a rejection...I was a bit taken back...Thank God He knows what I am suppose to do...Anyway....What came across was they did not think I realized what was involved or what I was getting into...So the good little "I will prove them wrong research hound that I am" I started on my info quest....
OKAY!!! They were right...I had no idea...A lot of these kids still had bandages that needed to be cleaned and changed daily...Raw wounds that were on the mend.. but raw...Long story short...And to my shame...I did not work at the camp...
BUT God taught me something about "The Work" ...I pray that this will shed some light... give a clearer understanding of why sometimes His work hurts...
Be encouraged!

I want you to read this slowly...Imagine what is being written...the best that you can...I encourage you to really stop and "feel" what I am writing...This is a God given illustration of "The Work" that is required to heal some of our hearts....And for some there is no other way to heal the wounds....

There is a child...And no fault of his own...he gets burnt...He gets burnt real bad...Third degree bad...Right down to the nerve...The little guy goes into shock......Somehow God has given us a safety net to protect us from this kind of pain... This kind of damage....He arrives at the hospital where he is medicated and bandaged ...
BUT first the burnt skin needs to be scubbed off ...For this first battle he is not awake , he feels no pain...He wakes up with little idea of what has happened.

Now for the second change...This time it is not so easy...The remaining burnt skin and some new have attached to the gauze...Causing it to take the skin with the bandage...This is so painful, but it is part of the healing process...You see the dead burnt skin has to be completely removed in order for the new skin to grow and grow properly. After the bandage is removed they have to scub the raw wound...To clean the area remove what every skin can be removed....Then the new bandage is applied....This happens at each change...until all the old skin has been cleaned away and removed. Then the new skin begins to form and heal...The changing of the bandages at this time is still painful but as much...

I watched a video on this process...I could not believe what this one child had to endure..5-6 times a day...everyday...I am not sure how long it was...but it was long enough....These nurses worked as fast as they could to get the job over with...I cried so hard...I just could not imagine the pain...It broke my heart...he was so little...And when it was over he slept and then a short while later he was awake and smiling...I think I cried more during his smiling then during his pain...WOW how could this little one be smiling after all of that.


And that is how it is for some of us....Alot of our wounds were not our fault...When the hurt was at it's maximum....Our mind does it's thing to shut out the pain...Sometimes we turn to outside stuff to do that too...Basically we shut down..shut off...

God is preparing to pour new wine...but not into old wineskins...He has to get rid of the dead burnt skin of our hearts...The process is alot like what happens to burn victims... When God showed me this all I asked Him was this..." I want to be as brave as that little guy...I want to smile each time You are through...give me courage!

Like the nurses God wants this work to go as quickly as possible....It has to get done!
Even though those lady moved fast and look emotionless....Only love could do that kind of work....I can't say for sure...but I bet... Part of the reason that little guy could smile was because of the love that those people showed him before, during and after!!!
Keep Smilin...The Work is almost over!