"Come-back"

 I came back from that injury,

A long, long time ago,

But I cannot step on a horse,

Without knowing what I know.

It really was nobody’s fault,

That horse was counterfeit,

He went from a slow, slack-rein walk,

Just took hold of that bit,

Ducked his head and went air born,

Swapped ends in the air,

Just like in the rodeo,

But no audience was there.

Just my younger brother,

Who sat there on his horse,

He was ‘bout surprised as me,

No way to help, of course.

And pretty soon I hit the ground,

Plumb broke me in half,

Broken hip and pelvis,

And a couple ribs that fast.

And, yes, it took some months to heal,

And several weeks in bed,

I planned to ride in ninety days,

Whatever that Doc said.

And, yes, you know that’s what I did,

And I’ve been riding since,

Although it’s been twelve years ago,

A story in past tense.

But it taught me just how easy,

It is to have a wreck,

And that I am not bullet proof,

I could’ve broke my neck.

All that to say that I came back,

And still am going strong,

But I’ve grown more deliberate,

It’s how I get along.

What wound do you carry,

Has that one really healed,

Or is it right there with you,

Unseen but you can feel,

The pain of what once happened,

The fear it might again,

Did you learn a lesson,

From the damage way back when.

I pray it made you wiser,

And you really did get well,

That you’re completely healthy,

And now you live to tell,

That grace gave you your comeback,

From what happened long ago,

And you have overcome it,

As how you live will show.

“By His wounds you are healed…” (1 Peter 2:24, NLT)

Jesus is a wonderful healer. When Peter’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever, Jesus touched her hand and the fever left her. Matthew’s gospel says this fulfilled the ancient prophecy of Isaiah, where it says the Messiah will heal us. It should be no surprise then that Peter would later talk about being healed through the wounds of Jesus. This means that Jesus died, not only for our sins but also for our hurts, both spiritual and physical. Our bodies will one day be completely healed by His victory over the grave, but we can walk in healing for every emotional injury here and now. It is in the strength of His healing grace that we can forgive others.

Lord, help us find the healing You died to give us, in Jesus’ name.

Photography by John Bye. Used by permission. Thanks, John, and God bless you.