Beneath the rubble
of the worst thing
that ever happened to you,
your biggest mistake
and the unbearable weight of your grief
is the shiny gem
of who you
have always been
and what you are meant to create –
Let’s move boulders
and dig her out together.
Let’s dust off the remnants of what’s passed,
so she can finally bask
in the Light.

The most important thing I have learned in my spiritual journey is that every human life is equally precious, regardless of surface-level appearances and circumstances.

Your worth is not determined by your bank account, accomplishments, looks, education or socioeconomic status. Your worth cannot be diminished by traumatic events that happen to you or even by your own worst mistakes and behavior. Your worth is inherent in who you are because you are created in the image and likeness of God. So often immersed in the pressures and experiences of life and a culture, which lacks empathy and glorifies some narratives more than others, we forget that simple fact and fail to see Christ in those who are marginalized, oppressed, traumatized, mentally ill or those who are caught up in a web of their own mistakes.

One way to rediscover your own inherent dignity and worth as a child of God is to dig deep into your heart, soul and memories and piece together the story of your journey through life. In a truly loving and accepting environment, we can heal by being seen, heard and witnessed in all we’ve been through and even all the mistakes we made. Through sharing our story, we can become more conscious of the forces that have shaped us and deeply rooted intentions, which have motivated us. We can uncover limiting beliefs, heal old wounds, forgive, experience forgiveness and open up to new possibilities. We can begin to see ourselves how God sees us – with eyes of love, compassion and understanding. We can gain more consciousness and ability to navigate the future with more wisdom and grace. We can allow the Light to shine in the dark crevasses of our humanity, bringing God’s healing and transformation into the depths of our souls.

Everything I write here on Unite in Prayer flows from my own heart and story, which have been excavated out of the rubble of my own traumatic life experiences, questions and confusions in relationship to my experience of and belief in a loving, all-powerful miraculous God who heals and restores. When I first started excavating my authentic self out from beneath the rubble of my confusing life experiences, my story was disjointed like the pieces of a puzzle that didn’t quote fit together yet. Slowly but surely through journaling combined with contemplative prayer, clarifying my story and sharing it with others and learning who to trust (a process), I have healed so much into a deep sense of spirituality and communion with God, which I can count on to anchor me through the trials of life.

This is possible for each and every one of us! The more deeply we work to lovingly excavate our own exquisitely crafted humanity, the more we can cultivate a deep wellspring of faith and inner peace, which allows us to and the more deeply understand, love and forgive those around us. Truly, we are all united in our common human fallibility and can all be healed in the Light of God’s unfailing love as we are brought into deeper peace and union with our Creator.

So, what’s your story? Do you need help excavating your true self from beneath the rubble of your life experiences? Comment below, I’d be happy to pray for you and be a loving witness to all you’ve gone through as you work to piece together your story in light of faith.

Lord, our story is ultimately Yours. Give us the grace to unite our human experiences with yours, so we can ultimately experience the fullness of life and joy of Your resurrection. Give us the courage to remove the darkness from our lives, so we can bask fully in the Light of Your love. In Jesus name, we pray.

written by Nicky Gant for http://www.uniteinprayer.org 2/21/2021