The significances of transformation can mean anything for each one of us. Let me invite you into my story….with a tear drop belling on the bottom of my eye lids.
I have always been the gal who would lean in and be a friend especially to those who are hurting. I grew up in a family with chronic illnesses. I remember a moment when no one could really understand the struggles we faced. Where did I go? Isolation. Who did I go to? Random folks in chat rooms or the Lord, of course. Deep sorrows aroused, yet I pretended everything was “okay” (making everything on the outside look perfect).
Little did I know I would be on the death bed after my God-given assignment in Kayamadai (a township in South Africa). After a month I came back to the states in the ICU (the week of my birthday) with slurred speech, feeling claustrophobic, my body shaking, my eyes rolling back, and none of the specialist could figure out what in the world was going on with me. My mom heard me say, “I see heaven…a light…angel.” All I could remember was my family pastor, Trisha Graves, family members, and the hospital staff would suit up in the yellow gowns as they prayed over me. Only God really knew what had happened to me. The severe symptoms gradually faded away mid-week but I still struggle with minor symptoms.
Walking miracle, yeah? Amen!
The sole reason I believe the Lord has me on earth is to heal others while I am being healed too.
Last summer I had the opportunity to work with women who have been abused, abandoned, or trafficked in India by using the fine arts as a means for therapy. Not only did I witness their transformation of being healed and beginning to trust again, but I started to see inner healing being done in myself (from the vulnerable abuse) too. The art therapy exercises I did with these women are as follows…
Gather the women in a large circle, sit criss-cross-applesauce, and in an upright position
(if possible)
Walk through the Deep-Breathing Exercise for about 10 minutes with them
Discuss the emotions they experienced, sounds, and images they saw
Pull out colorful paper of some sort, take two to three pieces, and rip the papers.
(This step was to help them to express their emotions in a cognitive way.
Place the pieces onto white paper and design a picture
The women share with each other the meaning of each color and some stood up to speak in front of everyone
The essences colors have are expressed no matter how you choose to let your pain to come out. When I saw the women’s facial emotions come out from deep within, I began to feel this awe-peacefulness and tears of joy rolling down. This is just the beginning of the healing and there’s more to be done.
I leave you with taking that step of faith and finding that therapy to soften the harden heart….music, dance, fine arts, riding a horse, going for a walk, or simply being still in His presences.
Author: Jennifer Fiebiger
Email: [email protected]
Author’s Bio: A woman after God’s own heart who has a passion for children, women, and families. She has a love for traveling, the fine arts, photography, the education field, hearing stories over a cup of her favorite mocha or jasmine tea almond milk tea, a health & skin care mentor, and being a friend when someone needs her.
Instagram: @enhanceyourhealthwithjennifer
FB: @healthwithjennifer and @coloursofworld
