Healed to Heal (part 2)

“Never waste your pain.”

A few years back I visited a church in Lake Forest, CA, and this phrase from Pastor Rick that Sunday morning has stuck with me through the years.  “Never Waste Your Pain” was the last message in a series titled “How to Get Through What You’re Going Through“.

I introduced Eunice in my earlier blog.  She did not waste her pain.  Years ago she was pursuing her dream in Nairobi, Kenya, to attend university when she suddenly found herself in an impossible situation – drugged, raped, impregnated, then abused, rejected, ostracized.

Here’s more of Eunice’s story:

She was kicked out of her parents house, accused of being a promiscuous slut, and she nearly had an abortion when God stopped her saying, “This baby is going to be a blessing to you.” She raised her baby in the slums, washed peoples laundry, cleaned houses, and somehow saved her pennies to enroll herself at a local university in Nairobi. Her mother, a tea farmer in the village, invested her savings into Eunice’s dream. [www.freelyinhope.org]

So Eunice defied the odds even by simply pursuing an education.  Meanwhile Nikole Lim, a photographer and filmmaker from California, was in Kenya documenting stories of women who experienced sexual violence.  Her past documentaries featured stories of leprosy in Vietnam and foster children in Los Angeles.  Now in Kenya she heard of Eunice’s situation and her need for $500 for her final exams one semester.  Nikole sent her the $500 and soon after, Eunice completed her exams and rose to the top of the class. She eventually earned a degree in Counseling Psychology, and her story inspired Nikole to cofound Freely in Hope with Eunice.  Their dream now is to help others heal and transform by equipping them to become leaders and advocates against sexual violence.  Eunice not only survived her trauma but became a powerful, uniquely qualified agent of healing for other women who experienced the same trauma.  Healed to heal.  Eunice did not waste her pain. [www.gritandvirtue.com]

As Pastor Rick urges, whatever trauma you faced, past or present, don’t waste your pain.  Who better to empower victims of abuse than a survivor of abuse?  Who better to encourage the sick than someone whose body has been diseased?  Who better to walk alongside those who’ve experienced loss of a marriage/job/health than someone who’s been there too?

I know this blog is read by some facing kidney failure, cancer, other diseases, or even oppression and rejection; by those who are losing hope, a loved one, a sense of security. Even in the last month I’ve been contacted by three people suddenly facing an overwhelming situation.  Know that you are not alone, that someone has been there too and knows your pain.

For all of us, there’s someone you need to encourage.  Don’t wait until you have it all perfectly together.  That will never happen.  But as you walk alongside someone else I believe you will experience a deeper healing too because there is treasure in darkness.

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Find out more about Freely in Hope here.  Consider partnering with them, or donating a one-time gift this #GivingTuesday. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match up to $1 million in donations on GlobalGiving!

Nikole is also featured on Grit and Virtue as one of the “Women to Watch.” Their insights and lessons will inspire your mission.
 

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Kidney News

On Wednesday I’ll be going back to UCSF for a biopsy which is standard for all patients six months post transplant.  We’ll see if there are any underlying issues or undetected kidney rejection thus far. I’m confident of a good outcome.