Healing, Hidden Sorrows, and Reaching Out

I read another really good article this week by Elaine S. Marshall in the Ensign, April 2004 issue, page 57, called "Lessons on Healing."

Sister Marshall is (or at least was at the time of this article) the Dean of BYU Nursing.  She said she has learned a lot over the years in the arts of healing, but the main point of her talk was that "...each of us may come to know the Master Healer, partake of the gift of the Atonement, and learn "the healer's art."

She said that "healing is the process of becoming whole...[and that] physical healing mirrors in many ways the spiritual healing we all require at difficult times in our lives."

I really appreciated how she also talked about "hidden sorrows" in a "quiet heart" as described in Hymn 220 (from our LDS Hymn Book) as the song goes on to explain, "sorrow that the eye can't see."  It's easy to reach out and help people whose trials ride on the surface of their lives, but what of those who pass through sorrows in the privacy of their own hearts.  These can't be shared, as they are meant to be worked out between that person and the Lord--and all of us are bound to pass through that kind of sorrow in our lives....usually "as a process of living" as Sister Marshall said.  So people with hidden sorrows are all around us....but we may not know, we cannot tell....just by looking at the surface of their lives.

Sister Marshall said that some healing needs to be private.  Some healing is sacred. 

Most people that have these hidden, private sorrows cannot tell you about them, and probably even if they tried it would not be possible to comprehend...for these are inner battles of our own soul.  Our war for our spirit to conquer our weakness of the flesh and the mortal body.  And while many of our battles are similar, they are still unique to each individual. 

Sister Marshall said, "to say that healing is private is not to diminish the marvelous power that comes from the compassion of others.  Indeed, private healing often may not happen without the help of others.  Nevertheless, much of the work of healing is done alone, inside the heart, in the company of the Spirit of the Lord."

However, and this was the main reason for my post, is that even as we may be in the process of our own pain and healing, we can reach out to help aid others in their healing...often in simple ways.  Even praying that God will use us as instruments in His hands.

Sister Marshall said,  "Every day someone in your path is hurting, someone is afraid, someone feels inadequate, or someone needs a friend.  Someone needs you to notice, to reach out, and to help him or her to heal.  You may not know who that is at the time, but you can give encouragement and hope.  You can help heal wounds of misunderstanding and contention.  You can serve 'in the cause of the Master Healer.'"

Oh how something as simple as a hug, a smile, a note, a phone call, a caring conversation can make the difference and give us that lift and strength to keep going a little longer--if we are the receiver.  And if we are the giver--as we reach out to comfort others we find that in the effort, we are comforted as well.  Our pain and sorrow eases as we reach out in caring to each other.   What we give always comes back to us in kind.

"Savior may I learn to love thee, walk the path that thou hast shown.  Pause to help and lift another, finding strength beyond my own..."  (hymn 220)

I have been reverently singing this hymn in my mind this past week and marveling at it's message, and the timely message from Sister Marshall's talk...

...and about the Master Healer.


**side-note: I also discovered that this song, "Lord, I Would Follow Thee" was written by my favorite LDS author, Susan Evans McCloud!  So cool!  I didn't realize she'd written a church hymn!