After I ran my first marathon, several of my toenails turned black. This is what happens when your feet take a pounding for several hours. Even though black toenails are unattractive, they still function as a protective layer for your toes. After a month, my big toenail fell off completely. Now my nail bed was exposed and sensitive. If I dropped even a spoon on my bare feet, I would cry out in pain. To others who lived with me, it seemed like I was overreacting. I don’t know when this toenail will grow back fully. For now, I have learned to wear covered shoes to hide and protect my feet.
Trauma injuries are not always obvious, especially psychological ones. When someone seems hypersensitive to certain issues that don’t bother the average person, it might be due to pain and loss from their past. Or, they may be genetically predisposed to be fragile in certain areas. Many of us learn to cover up our damaged and vulnerable parts--partially to appear normal, but also as a protective mechanism.
Healing and regrowth are not up to us but are in God’s hands. This might take decades, so we must remain patient and understanding. Our role is to stay tuned in to God, to wait in hope, and to reorder our lives in submission to His will. Our Lord is dependable. His compassion never fails. His love never runs out.
“When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear.” (Lamentations 3:28-29 MSG)
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