The Ripple Effect

My dear friend Hannah, (she is so wise) gave me a wonderful analogy to life recently... and I wanted to write about it...

Healing is like a pebble being thrown in a pond. You know... when you throw something into water, like a pebble, it makes all those ripples. The stone might first make a big splash. Water going in the air, slapping back down on the body of water. It effects the water around it, making large waves, with huge intensity, hitting whatever is close with force. It is not only a strong force, but the water is quick, rapidly moving up and down, hitting everything near it over and over.

As the stone begins to sink to the bottom, the splash settles down. But the water ripples have already started. The are bobbing up and down away from the stone splash, effecting the little ducks and sticks and whatever is in the water near it...

The ripples start out pretty strong, but as time goes on, the ripples are less intense and there are fewer of them.

And eventually, the water is calm again. The pebble has sunk to the bottom of the water, and the movement from that stone is gone...

And that, as Hannah said, is like the healing process. A tragic thing hits us hard. Unexpectedly, with a great impact and intensity, rocking our world. As time goes on, the intensity of hurt fades. The memory of the situation, never leaves completely. And, I am glad for that. But thankfully the pain and hurt settles down and lessens. That is where I am at. The intensity of life's heartaches have become less. But, there are the ripples. And I can go a long time without feeling the effects of that big heartache. The ripples are spreading out... but they are there.

This week, one of those ripples hit me. I don't know where it came from exactly. But it came. And my heart aches again. I relive the pain and cope with the brokenness.

But through all this, I have learned that dealing with brokenness is not a Rebecca thing. It is Rebecca letting God work through my life thing, being willing to let Him teach me and grow me more into His likeness.

"He who began a good work, is faithful to complete it." Phil 1:6

"You will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. Jer 29:21

"I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have drawn you with lovingkindness." Jer 31:3

"When Your words came, I ate them, and they were my joy and my heart's delight." Jer 15:16