Written by: Leia Marie
Sometimes healing asks us to return to places we would rather forget.
Recently, during a therapy session, I was guided through a painful memory from my past. It was one of those memories that had been tucked away for years, hidden somewhere deep inside me. As I entered the moment again, I could see myself as a little girl: scared, confused, and alone.
It felt as if that younger version of me had tried to hide the memory from the rest of my life, but in doing so had become trapped inside it.
My therapist gently asked me to invite Jesus into the memory and simply notice where He was.
When I did, something unexpected happened.
Suddenly I could see Him there.
He was sitting beside that little girl version of me. He was not distant or standing far away. He was right there next to her. His face was warm and strong. His eyes were filled with compassion and unspilled tears that reflected a deep sadness for what she had endured.
In that moment something shifted inside me.
I realized something I had not fully understood before: I was never alone.
Jesus had been there all along.
Not watching with indifference.
Not turning away in disgust.
Not blaming or condemning.
He was there with compassion in His eyes and love in His presence.
The truth of Scripture began to echo in my heart in a new way:
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
— Psalm 34:18
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
— Psalm 147:3
Sometimes the deepest wounds in our lives make us feel isolated and unseen. Shame can convince us that if anyone truly saw the most vulnerable parts of our story, they would turn away.
But Jesus does not turn away.
He steps closer.
He sits beside us in the very places where we feel abandoned. He looks at us, not with condemnation, but with compassion.
Scripture reminds us that Jesus understands suffering intimately:
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.”
— Hebrews 4:15
He sees the cracks in our souls.
He sees the moments that broke us.
He sees the wounds we tried to bury.
And still He stays.
Still He looks at us with tenderness.
Still He reaches toward us with healing.
What I saw in that moment was not a distant Savior observing my pain. I saw a compassionate King sitting beside a frightened and confused child.
And I believe that same truth extends far beyond my story.
Wherever there is a wounded heart…
Wherever there is a memory that still hurts…
Wherever someone feels small, alone, or unseen…
Jesus is there. He does not recoil from our pain.
He meets us in it.
Companion Scriptures:
Isaiah 43:2
Matthew 11:28
John 8:1-8
Reflection Questions:
1.) Is there a painful place in your past where you have assumed you were alone?
2.) What might it look like to invite Jesus into that memory and ask where He was?
3.) How does it change your understanding of God to imagine Him responding with compassion
instead of condemnation?
Closing Prayer:
Dearest Heavenly Father,
You see every hidden place in our lives, even the memories we have tried to bury. Thank You that You do not turn away from our pain. Thank You for sitting beside us in our broken moments with compassion and love.
Help us trust that You are near to the wounded and gentle with the hurting. Bring healing to the places in our hearts that still carry fear or shame. Remind us that we are not alone and that we never have been. Hold the wounded parts of us close and lead us into Your peace.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
