a prayer for healing

"Like Eve after she tasted the forbidden fruit, we women hide. We hide behind our makeup. We hide behind our humor. We hide with angry silences and punishing withdrawals. We hide our truest selves and offer only what we believe is wanted, what is safe. We act in self-protective ways and refuse to offer what we truly see, believe, and know. We will not risk rejection or looking like a fool. We have spoken in the past and met with blank stares and mocking guffaws. We will not do it again. We hide because we are afraid. We have been wounded and wounded deeply. People have sinned against us and we have sinned as well. To hide means to remain safe, to hurt less. At least that is what we think. And so by hiding, we make matters into our own hands. We don't return to our God with our broken and desperate hearts." -- Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge

for those who have been wounded, broken, desolated...
for those who hide behind masks, pretending to be someone who they're not while trying to please everyone else but themselves...
for those who are suffering mentally, physically, emotionally...
for those who are slipping away from God, farther and farther away from Him because they're in hiding...
for those who can't trust and have put up walls around their heart...
for those who think they're not beautiful enough, smart enough, worthy enough...

... a prayer for healing.