When You Are Refined by Relationships
Almost two years ago, my son, who was seven at the time, sustained second-degree burns to his face and hands. His wounds needed about two weeks to heal, which truly amazed me. But I’m still being refined by what I learned of community relationships during that time.
To be refined means to have unwanted elements removed by a process. In other words, when we refined, we are purified, clarified, cleansed, developed, and improved.
Ben was helping his dad with a burn pile of brush when a flame flared up and my boy was standing too close. He put his hands in front of his face, probably actually protecting his eyes, but the vapors of the flames still got him. He spent two nights at Vanderbilt Medical Center’s burn unit. We came home with a bag of wound care supplies and painkillers and a faith that was being proven pure.
Maybe it hasn’t been an actual fire in your life. Maybe you’ve walked through a broken relationship, expectations that haven’t been met, disappointment caused by someone you love, dreams that haven’t come true, grief from losing someone near, or another physical-impairing experience. Maybe you’ve been sick or anxious or worried or lost.
Whatever the figurative fire that’s burned our lives, we can be refined and the people around us can help.
When Ben was recovering from his burns, I had to learn wound care techniques as his hands and face literally grew new skin. I also had to recruit a couple friends to help him do his face and hand exercises because he wasn’t responding well to our parental ways of encouraging him to do what the doctor ordered.
Our best friends came to our house before we came home to change the shower head so that Ben could shower without the water coming directly down on his tender neck and ears. They also had dinner ready for us. Another home health nurse friend came to check on his physical condition and my emotional well-being. Other friends showed up with dinner. Our church sent a candy bouquet because no first-grade boy wants flowers. People texted and prayed. One friend even fasted to spend a day in prayer for us. Gifts came in the mail and were left on our porch.
That’s community. That’s healing. That’s what being refined by relationship can look like.
I hurt for my son who hurt, but I also rejoiced in the many little ways God revealed everlasting truth to my soul through people.
I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.
1 Peter 1:6-7, MSG
The fires in this life can be exhausting and painful. But the refinement that produces deeper faith is part of the sanctification process because God promises to finish this good work he’s begun in us (Philippians 1:6). Until we’re living our eternal life face to face with Jesus who has prepared a place for us, we will have opportunity to be refined by the people around us. Let’s not miss what God is doing in us and around us.
Healing comes when we allow relationships to help refine us during hard seasons.
Meet Kristin:
Kristin Hill Taylor believes in seeking God as the author of every story and loves swapping these stories with friends on her porch. She has a bachelor’s in print journalism from Murray State University and worked in various newsrooms before she became a stay-at-home mom. She volunteers and does freelance projects that involve writing, promoting, organizing, and hosting. She lives in Murray, Kentucky, with her husband and their three kids. You can keep up with Kristin at her blog, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
The Refined Series
Fire refines. First God, breaks our pride into tiny pieces. Then, He melts away our impurities in a crucible of affliction. Every fleck of fleshy fluff rises to the surface and is removed until we reveal His image.
This year, I want to stop fearing the fire and pray:
Lord, refine me through the flame.
For 2018, I asked God to give me a word to guide my year, and He whispered the word “Refine.” For 10 months, Bruce and I have been walking through the fire and trying to not resist the refining work He is doing in us.
I am a very slow learner, and recently it occurred to me I should step aside and create more space to listen and learn during this season. I long to sit down for a heart-to-heart chat with a wise friend who will remind me the fire has a grander purpose. Thankfully, I am blessed to know several women who’ve walked through the fire and emerged beautifully refined, and I’ve invited them to share their story here with the Wildfire Faith Community once a month.
God has promised that the fire will not consume us, but transform us.
Sign up today as a member of the Wildfire Faith Community and grab a copy of the Refined Manifesto our Faith Fuel Library.
If you are visiting from Kristin’s today,
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Here you will find fuel for a wildfire faith to help you
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- PRAY BIG: Go down fighting on your knees with fire in your bones.
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- STAND STRONG: Rest courageously on God’s promises with red-hot resolve.
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CHECK OUT MY COACHING SERVICES TO START WORKING ON A PLAN TO REFINE YOUR PASSION AND PURPOSE.
Kristin, I am so sorry about what happened to your son. So hard for parents to watch. But what a lovely story of community in action.
Thank you, Betsy! It was such a short time frame in the big picture, but in the midst of the injury & recovery everything was such a big deal.
I am so glad Ben is okay! Thank you so much for sharing this story with us. We need each other, and you reminded us so beautifully. HUGS
God really uses our kids and their challenges to bring focus to a mum’s scattered and distracted heart! When our youngest spent time in the kids’ ICU, God met us there, too, and our church family rallied around us, bringing grace and help to the blur.
That was such a refining experience for our whole family.
Michele,
I think when you go through refining seasons like this one you realize how important community is. Where would be be without each other?
When Lyli invited me to share about being refined, I knew this was the story to share. I’m glad you understand, Michele! xo
I was inspired by Kristen’s story and your thoughts on refined. So excited to become part of the Wildfire Faith Community.
Thanks for being here, Laurie! xo
Welcome, Laurie!!!
Good to see you here, Kristin! I’m so sorry about your son’s burns. As parents, we’d much rather these things happen to us than them. It’s so neat he saw the grace of God manifested through that time.
Hi, Barbara! Good to see you here. 🙂 I love how God uses everything in our lives.
What a beautiful example of community. laurensparks.net
It truly was. I’m so grateful God gave us that.
Oh this!! I read a lot but this!! It has so much encouragement and testament of faith building in the glory of God!! It is a beautiful thing when the body of Christ encompasses you!! In those moments hugs from our Heavenly Father are felt! My site is Healing In Heart and I chose it because in life there are multiple times we need to heal, whether it’s a big or small wound, healing is needed through the work of Jesus. I’m so glad I read this today!!
I’m glad you could be encouraged through my post. God uses so many people and experiences to heal different aspects of our lives, that’s for sure!
Hugs from heaven — YES!
Kristin, I’m so sorry your son went through that. Burns are the terribly painful. My daughter worked in the burn unit here and I know from her experience that it is hard. It takes a brave mama and son to get through that! Thank for these wise words today.
Thank you, Lisa! I’m glad God was with us because I couldn’t have walked through that and so many other things without him.
I attended college at Murray State during my Freshman and Sophomore years. It’s nice to have a connection. We have probably in the same place at the same time. I loved reading your testimony. It’s so hard when we go through the fire, literally or figuratively. But it’s amazing how God shows up so much more vividly in that place. I am thankful for the Christian community you have. They go it right. God in the flesh ministering in their various gifts. We don’t always do it right but even when we don’t God does His thing refining us. WOW! Thanks for the reminder.
Go Racers! 🙂 God in the flesh is right – here’s to us recognizing that in others and being that for people we’re around. Thanks for sharing, Calvonia!
I remember when my youngest had to spend a week in the burn unit. It was an enlightening time. We learned so much about burns and their care. And yes we were also refined by relationship and community. She had a 3rd-degree burn on the outer upper part of her calf which was the result of a heating pad applied by her overzealous sister. She has 2 scars on her thigh as a result of this burn – a square that was used for the graft and the burn itself. Lots of lessons and applications came from being refined by fire.
Wow, Nylse! My grandmother had a scar on her arm as a result of a pot of boiling water spilling on her when she was young. I think it gave me a healthy respect for all things with a flame.
It’s amazing how God uses those moments of crisis to open our eyes to the hurting and to realize how blessed we are.
Wow! What a story – I’m glad you’ve seen God use that experience in your family for the better. Scars are reminders of healing, that’s to sure!
Supportive friends are one of life’s greatest treasures!
Amen!
Hi Kristin! Community is so important! What a blessing it must have been to have people come around and shine Christ’s love during this painful time! What a beautiful example your community was to your son! I’m sure that he’ll remember the love that was covering him for his entire life. I’m so sorry he experienced this painful injury but am so thankful that he has healed!
Blessings, Joan