I had an interesting therapy session yesterday afternoon - halfway through my session with my therapist we somehow got on the topic of gun laws and the recent shootings that have been prevalent across the nation. My therapist was in the middle of recommending a short animated film covering this topic and abruptly paused and burst into tears. Startled, I quickly came to attention and after a few moments passed, she openly shared that her best friend has passed away the night before. Did I come to my therapy session expecting this particular interaction with my therapist? Not necessarily. But something in my heart felt something for her and I paused and asked her if I could pray for her (we quickly realized right from the beginning of our relationship that we are both Christ followers). She quickly said that she would love prayer and so that's what we did. It was a moment when our established hierarchical relationship as therapist/client was leveled out. From one human to another hurting human, I saw it as an opportunity to extend kindness and invite the Lord into a heavy situation. I could tell she was truly grateful, and honestly I was and am as well for what occurred between us.
As I continue to live this life, I realize that my healing is tied to the healing of others. As much as healing occurs vertically (the Lord encountering me & providing healing experiences), there is something to be said about our interconnectedness as humans, and the bidirectional healing that occurs when we extend forms of healing to others.
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