Last week I met someone with 2 personalities and my heart broke over the pain and anguish that caused this person; to split into two parts so that she could function as an adult.
Part of her was a small child still looking for a parent to protect her, knowing that there will be betrayal again, the other part a brilliant, funny, articulate person who struggled to stay sane.
I thought much about this over the Easter weekend, and I think it is only by the grace of God that all of us don't have split personalities to make it through the everyday hurts of life.
How does a child survive abuse? How does a spouse overcome everyday brutalities? How do we survive the onslaught of bad news every day?
No wonder so many turn to drugs, alcohol, television and other forms of 'numbing' agents!
What does it mean that we celebrate Easter, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
I wonder if it does not, in part mean that we do not have to have split personalities, but that he takes the part of our lives that is pained and broken and puts His loving arms around it, healing some of the scars and helping us to live with the others.
I wondered, why she split and I didn't.
I celebrate Easter because of that! Because of a God who cares enough to send His Son to take the blame for the abuse, the hurt, the despair, and not only that of the abuser but also the abused.
I celebrate Easter because there is hope! At times my soul picture is a black hole with very little light and only a few cracks of dim light coming through but more and more often there is more light shining through and a little tiny plant growing in it, struggling for life, but surviving and someday maybe even blooming!
Until then, my heart breaks for the people who don't know this Healer, who don't know that there is hope.