Colored stipple etching of a forearm with three open wounds, WOUNDS by J. Stewart after J. Bell (c. 1826), Wellcome Collection (Library Reference ICV No 9908), Source/Photographer https://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/obf_images/b3/e5/19f609d2570b60390b8f1a0e2f55.jpg, (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International)
When sex is viewed merely as another human appetite – powerful perhaps, but devoid of emotional content; when it is shared with any number of casual strangers, rather than with the beloved in a lifelong committed relationship as intended by God, then it is devalued and we with it.
Instead, a profound wound is created, a wound that reaches to the soul.
We may deny the existence of this wound. Certainly, our culture does. But the wound is a reality, nonetheless, a gaping void no substitute can fill.
We may try to fill that void by increasing the number of our sexual partners, a fruitless exercise. We may try to fill it with food, alcohol, or drugs in an effort to numb the pain. The effort, itself, can become a compulsion. But the wound remains.
For the victims of abuse, sexual or otherwise, the very same wound is created. We know at the deepest level that we were seen as worthless by the parents or guardians who should have loved us. The grief and shame are overwhelming, and can last a lifetime.
Christ is familiar with wounds. He, too, bore them. Not due to His own fault, but for our sakes. And He can heal them.
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ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse and More 
Our Lord told us that “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly”. (John 10:10)
The difference between living for Christ or living for the pleasures of the world could not be more evident. As you say Anna, we try to fill the emptiness with every type of sensual gratification, but at the end of the day the wounds and emptiness remains. Meanwhile, Christ continues to offer us a life of abundance. That is the real tragedy, that we live so far removed from this abundance while settling for crumbs.
This blog reaches so few. But the message of hope in Christ is offered to all.
Little is much when God is in the works my dear friend
Amen, Anna! Jesus can bind up our wounds and heal them!
You make a good point about how our culture may deny and not recognize a wound but that doesn’t mean it isn’t very real. A lot of things in life can be really damaging and harmful and yet as a culture we often pretend they aren’t.
Our own culture seems especially blind to certain wounds. The entire Transgender Movement is built on that blindness.
Indeed, Anna. It’s very sad. We do something similar with drugs, at least in more liberal areas, where the consequences are just denied and what is harmful starts getting presented as freedom, as something we shouldn’t be so judgy about.
Your reflection is truly moving, Anna. You write with a gentle bravery that opens a doorway for readers to feel seen, understood, and comforted. Thank you for reminding us that wounds—no matter how hidden—still deserve compassion, and that healing remains possible through something far greater than ourselves.
While reading your piece, another quiet layer came to mind: how some wounds grow not only from what was done to us, but also from the silence around them. Many people ache not simply because they were harmed, but because their pain was never acknowledged. Recognizing this silence as part of the wound can sometimes be the first step toward restoring dignity—something your writing so beautifully aligns with. Thank you for giving space to truths many are still afraid to name.
Thank you for your kind words, Livora. I hardly deserve such praise.
Let me take the opportunity, however, to say that I greatly admire your own writing. You write with a power and grace that the charming cartoon characters on your website https://livoragracely.wordpress.com/ cannot disguise. I appreciate both your insights and your faith. ❤
Thank you so much for your kind and heartfelt words! I truly appreciate your thoughtful praise and encouragement—it means a great deal.
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“But the wound remains.” — No matter how we try to plaster over it. The grief. The shame. These thorns in the flesh that by God’s grace lead to Jesus, the shame-bearer, the Cross-bearer, the Lamb of God, the great Shepherd of the sheep, whose strength is made perfect in our weakness. May our heart dwell upon him in thanksgiving and praise until that Day when he returns and wipes away every tear. God bless and keep you, Anna. Your faith is a shining light in the darkness. Praise God! ❤
I do not deserve such praise, Dora. But I join you in praising our God. All good things flow from Him. ❤