Anxious!
Have you ever had something occur in your life and you get really anxious over it? I am sure you have. We all have events that take place that gets us anxious. There are things that take place where we need some answers but we don’t know what the answer is and we aren’t sure where to get it.
I recall an event in my life that led me to this anxious feeling. As far as how old I was I am not really sure but I think I was around 14 or 15. At that time my dad was traveling on the road for his work. So he would leave on Monday and then arrive back home on Friday. We lived in an old farmhouse that was built back in the 1800s. I loved that house. We had two little ponds with several apple trees around them. When we moved into the place we acquired a male and female goose and also one male duck and two female ducks. They were lots of fun, most of the time.
Devastated!
One morning when my dad was out of town, I went out to feed the animals. One of the ducks never arrived for the feeding time. I grew concerned and went looking for her. I found her in the second pond. She was out in the middle, soaking wet. As you know when you see a duck, soaking wet you know that there is a problem. I don’t rightly remember how I even was able to get her but I finally got her.
As I picked her up I saw that she had a big hole in the back of her neck. It was around the size of a silver dollar. I could see the tubes that run through the throat. She also had received damage to her body and her oil glans. Things did not look good for her.
Let her go.
My mom was trying to figure out how we could put her to sleep. I was not in favor of having her put to sleep. I am an animal lover and I will do whatever it takes to save an animal if I possibly can. So I said to my mom that I wanted to talk to dad.
For those of you that are younger it is hard for you to believe but cellphones were not a thing then. And because my dad was on the road we could not readily get a hold of him. He called us each day, morning and evening. I can’t remember for sure but it seems the time to talk to him had passed.
I can’t readily remember how we got a hold of him. But it seems that we had to call the main office. He called into the office more than once a day at times and then, of course, when he got the message he would have to use a payphone. He finally called us and I was so grateful. When it came to animals my dad has the same heart I do. And the reality is that God has the same concern for His creatures. He sees when the Sparrow falls! He loves the creatures that He has created. My dad told me to call a vet and see what they suggested.
What?
Remember no Internet. I had to grab a phone book and start looking in the yellow pages. When I dialed the first vet I was shocked at the response from the receptionist. She started laughing. There was no sympathy or concern. She let me know that they didn’t treat ducks. I got the same response from one or two more vets. At that point, I felt discouraged but unwilling to give up.
I finally got a sympathetic receptionist and doctor. They let me know what cream I could get to put around the edges of the hole as well as her body. It would take some work putting it on, keeping her warm, and getting her dry. I did have concerns about her oil glans but the vet assured me that he felt they should heal without a problem if I just followed the directions. There was still a little question but it was so worth trying.
Preparing
Some of the memories have gone from me, but my mom must have taken me in somewhere so we could get what we needed and get started with the treatment. We also were able to find a large box to put in the house to place her in. Somehow we put some heat in the box to help get her warm and try to get her dry. You wouldn’t think it would be that difficult to get her dry but it was not easy. It was amazing to be able to learn what those glans do to protect them. And realizing how the oils coming from the glans keep the water from soaking in and sheds the water was so fascinating.
…Stomach
It did require a strong stomach in order to treat the duck. I did not really want to do it before or right after eating. As I recall my mom did not want to do it at all. We had bought this cream and the vet said to take it and smear it around the opening of the hole. It amazes me that the hole was not bloody. So it was not to terribly difficult to smear it on. I did wear gloves to do it though.
Now when it came to her back and wing area it was bloody. It wasn’t massive amounts though, thankfully. I can’t remember for sure but I think I used the same cream on them as well. If I am remembering correctly it was a process that I did more than once a day. The poor baby was so scared but seemed to know that I was helping her. She allowed me to do what I needed to do without any complaint.
Healing
I don’t remember how long it took but her glans started to heal and the oils started to work again. There was a question as to how long or if the glans would heal. When we took her out to the pond for a test run I was so grateful that she did not get all soaked again.
It took quite a while for the hole to heal and fill in again. But it finally did. It amazes me at the healing power that God has put within our bodies and the bodies of an animal if we give it the right conditions. God has made everything with amazing wonder. And as I study more and more about our bodies I am even more amazed. We definitely did not get here by chance. All of creation was designed with such amazing intricacy it is impossible to be put together by chance. We serve such an amazing God.
Thinking…
I started thinking about this experience a few days ago and it made me think of our lives in relation to God. To most of those around us, we may look like an impossibility. Our lives are full of holes and so many wounds that they may think for us to be made whole again is out of the question and fully impossible. How can all those wounds be healed? How can there be any hope? I mean they are soaked in sin. They are bleeding and fearful, which is covered with anger.
They don’t reach out to someone for help because of their fear of rejection. So you try to find someone that can reach out to them. Everyone you turn to laughs at you. “You have got to be kidding me, you really think there is hope for them? We don’t work on those kinds.”
But then you finally find Someone (the right Vet) that gives you some help in knowing where to turn. He tells you about this amazing Salve that can help to heal the wounds. There is no guarantee that the wounds will be healed because there is a factor that can keep those wounds from healing.
Choice…
The most amazing salve that can help heal the wounds of the most wounded soul is God’s Word. There are a couple of factors that can stop the healing. First, it has to be applied with prayer. Because the healing is brought about by the power of the Word as it is applied through the power of the Holy Spirit. And the second factor is the power of choice. The person that is wounded has the choice to be helped or not. Some people reject help. They are so used to going through life with holes in their heart and with bloody wounds that they feel uncomfortable being out of their “comfort zone”.
They also need to be surrounded by those that are allowing the Word to work in their own lives. People who have allowed the Word to so pray their lives that they have a warmth that will draw and warm those who are cold. Assembling ourselves together with others helps to keep all of us warm. It is like a lump of coal, if you take it out of the fire it will become cold. Or if you take a cold piece of coal and lay it in a fire it will start to warm and glow like all the others. Again it is still a choice. You can’t force someone to join in and be close to those that can warm him or her. But we can continue to love and to draw them.
Faith
It does require us to have a strong “stomach” (Faith). Reaching out to people that are wounded requires a faith that will withstand the wounds that may lash out at us. Wounded people can be full of so much anger that they lash out at those that even love them. But on the same token we can be so turned off by the way they portray themselves because of their wounds that we may not want to even be around them.
By faith, we need to claim the promises of God and know that the “Salve” (Prayer & the Word of God through the power of the Holy Spirit) will accomplish the healing. It may take longer than we think but we need to continue to be consistent.
The healing may take time and may not happen depending on their choice but never give up. If the duck had fought me and resisted she would have never lived. The same is true as we work with wounded people. But we should never give up. Even if they will not accept anything we can pray for them.
Also, remember as people surround us that there are those that we don’t even realize are wounded. So we need to be sure that as we interact with those around us that we are much in prayer. We need to be as Jesus was when He was here on earth. The method that Christ used on those around Him is how we should treat all around us. It is His method that will when the heart of each person. Remember it is not about us and what we think it is about Christ and what He thinks. As you look at people see Christ hanging on the cross for them. Love them with a Christ-like love that only He can give as we surrender self to Him.
Healing
Healing can take time. But the most amazing thing is that it will happen and they can be the most amazing people when their wounds are healed. They become stronger than they have ever been as they cling to the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to wash them clean.
Maybe you who are reading this are the wounded one. Let people love you. Read God’s Word and claim the promises that He has for you. Spend time in prayer pleading for God’s blessing. Do not let Him go until He has blessed you. There may be those around you that will hurt you, even those who claim to be Christians. But don’t get discouraged because no matter what people think God loves you with an everlasting love.
Dear Father,
I ask for Your wisdom, as a Christian. Help me reflect You to others. I pray that each of us will see the value to work with others as Christ worked. Help us to set self aside and only see You. And allow You to work through our lives.
Lord, I also pray for those who are wounded. I prayer that You will wrap reaches arms around them and that they will feel those loving arms. Forgive us if we have wounded a hurting and fragile person. Keep us focused on You and the love that You would have us spread to these hurting ones.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Remember to draw close to Jesus; He is the healer and reach out to those around you.
Love you all!
Do you have an experience to share about how God has helped in your healing process? Or maybe it has been a person who has helped you? Comment below about your experience.
If you are hurting and have no one around you to reach out to, reach out here.