“Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying,
‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”
--Matthew 26: 27-28
“When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.”
--Luke 23: 33
“…and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
--1 John 1: 7b
I looked down anxiously at my advisee’s wrists with the bloody scratch marks, wrinkling my brow and wondering what I could possibly say that day, or ever, to make her stop her senseless “cutting behavior.”
While I was Associate Dean of Students at Hastings College, I had many advisees with whom I worked, including this one who had a habit of slicing her wrists. It was her chosen way of inflicting pain, because she often felt she wasn’t worthy. I don’t think she ever intended to kill herself and the slits were usually just scratches that became bloody scabs, done because of past abuses from her father. This wasn’t the first time, but I had hoped it would be the last—for the wrist slitting, as well as her father’s abuse...
* * *
Thought to Ponder/Points for Discussion
- Like my advisee, do you sometimes doubt your worthiness and do harm to yourself or others to mask your emotional pain? Is there someone or something that would provide a better solution?
- Have you thought about donating blood to another? If you have previously encountered obstacles, what steps can you take to overcome them?
No comments:
Post a Comment