The Wounded Woman

I was listening to an extremely wise woman named Romona and we were discussing offense and, ta da, Brennan Manning's Abba's Child. Briefly she mentioned the wounded self and then went on to other points. However the mind of a disciple can wander, especially when the wisdom offered is so profound! A picture started to form in my mind about a Wounded Woman - I just couldn't conceive of how I could represent this woman - of how I could make her real in the tangible sense. And so I started to write, constructing with words a painting of how this woman would look. This is how I see her...

A broken, scarred, bloody woman sits cross-legged in the dust, with arms out-stretched and hands grasping like a babe's for her mother's fingers. This is the type of relationship that exists between the Wounded Woman and those things which she desires. It is characterised by longing, false trust, and relentless seeking. The Wounded Woman grabs greedily at insecurity, offense, self-pity, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc... She seizes anger and offense. She snatches at offense and self-pity. Insecurity and bitterness slips into her hands and sidles into her heart. The Wounded Woman is vulnerable in her unyielding and insistent pursuit of what she regards as sweet, succulent morsels. But these do not full the gap. The gaping, irrepressible gap...

Running to the rescue is the False Woman. She flitters and flutters in an annoying fashion, a real super-woman whose only desire is to gratify the Wounded Woman. She applies false personality-types and characteristics like a soothing balm. But this balm is merely a thick layer of greasy cream that pockets all the wounds in a self-containing manner. Jesus knows both women. He sees them, but loves only one. He can only love one, because there is only one. He did not die for or create the False Woman. He nurtured the Wounded Woman, He saw her in all her fragility and knows about how she used the False Woman to self-medicate. He whispers softly, asking for an introduction to this self-created imposter and then an invitation to her funeral. He longs for the Wounded Woman, He desires her. He wants her to come to Him, to wrap herself in His arms and allow Him to lavish His love upon her brokenness.

This is my picture. I am that Wounded Woman, and of course she exists in us all - not only for women, but for men as well (Wounded Men I suppose)...

Don't worry Romonz! I was paying attention to everything you said, and I hope that I grasped the concept of the wounded self adequately!