When one is younger, it seems that every boo-boo can be fixed by the same Scooby Doo band-aid. The slight scratch to the deep nash all get the same treatment – a kiss from mom, some antibiotic spray, and a nicely placed band-aid. At some point, however, we learn that not all bumps and bruises are the same. Some require casts, or splints; others require surgery. The repair must match the severity of the pain.
When we grow older, we realize that it’s often not the physical gashes that cut the deepest – it’s the rips of our hearts. We live and learn and every time we experience a new pain, we think the previous remedy is insuficient to heal the wounds. And perhaps it is. However, God reminds us in Psalm 94 that just like our physical hurt, He repairs our heart in such a way that the depth of the pain is matched by the breadth of His healing hand.
As it states in verse 19:
When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. (Psalm 94:19 ESV)
Did you catch it? The cares are numerous and so are the consolations. There isn’t a one-size fits all approach. He meets us where we are, to care for our hearts in the way that they need to be cared for in that moment, for that magnitude of pain.
It’s tempting to look back on our life and see how God has cheered us and to think that the way that He has worked in the past is insufficient for the new trial we are facing. Thankfully, God doesn’t always work in the same way. Regardless of our pain, He has consolations to match.