And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:23

The  Chinese tell the story of  an old man whose horse ran away. The man’s friends, trying to console him, said,”We’re so sorry about your horse.” But the old man said, “Bad news, good news-who knows?” A few days later the horse returned home, leading a herd of wild horses. This time the friends congratulated hin, but he answered, “Good news, bad news-who knows?” When the old man’s son, trying to break in one of the wild horses, broke both legs, the father’s reaction was similar: “Bad news, good news-who knows?” And when all young  men in the village were drafted but the father’s son was excused, he said, “Good news, bad news, who knows?”

Our journey toward wholeness begins when we face the truth and stop avoiding pain. Identifying our childhood wounds and  tracing their influence into our adult life is not easy. But by facing the often-painful truth about ourselves, we are starting the process of getting well. We are trusting that what we learn will not be all bad news. Good news will also result from facing our pain and problems. Miracle of miracles, we find that not only can we stand the pain that we are terrified of facing, but we can also move beyond it to freedom and fulfillment.

Though:  Thank you, Lord, that in pursuit of truth, I am set free.