Twenty-five years ago, September 11, 2001, in a moment lives were changed. New Yorkers and people across the globe had experienced emotional turmoil like no other. The events of 9/11 would take years for many people to experience emotional healing, while others may never heal.

But never say never. It is possible for those inflicted with trauma, left with an emotional wound to heal. It’s something I experienced in a New York minute.

A New York Minute

The message of the song co-written and performed by Don Henley, A New York Minute, is how quickly life can change in a blink of an eye. Life suddenly changed for me on March 17, 2021. Since, I immerse myself in recovery and strive to live free from my childhood wounds.

My Healing Journey

My healing journey started exactly five-and-half years ago. I’ve made tremendous strides. But it wasn’t until this past weekend, when I experienced healing like no other .

My trip to New York…

How apropos to be invited to a healing conference on September 11 and 12, surrounded by the most resilient of people, New Yorkers. A friend invited me to the I Am, Healing Journeys Today Conference. At first I questioned, “How can they provide healing to a woman who doesn’t have any symptoms of disease?”

That’s when my friend said, “Karen after reading your book (Swallow Your Pride, A Writer’s Guide for Recovery), I think you will benefit from emotional healing.” Always up for an adventure I packed my bags and we journeyed to New York. I went with an open-mind, prepared to see what God has in store for me.

When we arrived I was surrounded by people from all walks of life, each with the same goal to heal. There were many bodies ravaged by disease and desperate for relief. While physical healing may be apparent from the outside, emotional healing is deeply rooted and appears later in life in unforeseen circumstances.

Emotional wounds are not seen by the naked eye.

The Relationship Between Physical/Emotional Wounds

At first I noticed the people crippled by their wounds. The organizer herself, Julieanne Hartman appeared to be a strong, vibrant woman–a woman who once suffered from Fibromyalgia and found healing. Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that involves widespread body pain.

Still my reason for being there wasn’t evident.

After hearing Julieanne’s testimony, and learning that she lived in a home with an alcoholic father, I started to relate. My childhood was one of dysfunction. Although I felt loved and provided for by both parents, my father was a raging alcoholic.

The wound I carried into adulthood stemmed from this trauma. It manifested into abusing alcohol but fortunately for me my body has resisted disease. Allowing an emotional wound to fester can be a root cause of disease.

More information on the relationship between unresolved trauma and future health.

Emotional healing from a childhood wound…

While I was having trouble connecting the dots for my need to be present at the conference, slowly the pieces started to fall into place. What’s important to understand is that emotional wounds from our childhood come from a variety of different traumas. Having an alcoholic father was only one factor.

Examples Of Childhood Wounds

• Abandonment
• Abuse
• Birth Defects and Disease

Abuse, like when my father’s alcohol-fueled anger would lead to the abuse of my mother. As a child witnessing your mother being attacked by your father leaves a lasting scar. It’s a scar I carry that isn’t visible by others.

Birth defects and medical conditions, like me a child born with a cleft of the palate. Although as an infant my cleft was repaired, the residual defects remained. The shame of being born with an imperfection, shaped the woman I became.

Ally Johnson’s Story

Alopecia Universalis is an autoimmune disorder that leads to total hair loss. At the age of eight, Ally Johnson was stricken with this disease. For a child to be bald it can be very traumatic and lead to a lifetime of shame.

It wasn't until Ally's college years did she dare to take off her wig and surrender, to rid herself of the shame. At that point her hair started to grow back. This led to a vicious cycle of hair growth and loss. Her healing journey continued and after discovery of her mother's own health issues, the family reached out to Andrew Wommack. Through his teachings she learned that she had already been healed. Ally learned to walk by faith, not by sight.

For over a decade Allyson struggled with the shame of never being good enough to earn her healing from God, until one teaching changed her life forever. 

Ally is a speaker with Healing Journey's Today Ministry and through her faith and relationship with Jesus she shares her story. As a young woman she questioned if any man could love her. Today God blesses her with a husband, two children, and a home.

Today, Ally can say, "I am healed. I am beautiful. I am a wife. I am a mother."

My Story

Born with a cleft palate, and the Pierre Robin Syndrome, a rare condition that includes an underdeveloped lower jaw, this is what shaped my identity. Although I had surgery as an infant to close my palate, I carried the wound of imperfection into my adult life.

While Ally Johnson did not have hair, I learned to use my hair to hide behind. My facial profile that included a recessed chin is what I was desperate to hide. When I look at Ally’s childhood pictures I see a beautiful face, not obstructed by hair. That’s what I wanted as a child.

As a woman who is being healed from her past, I am learning to love myself just as God has created me. He blessed me with gorgeous hair, a loving husband, and two daughters. I am beautiful!

Maintaining Emotional Healing

A balanced approach to life offers a well-rounded approach to healing. That’s why I don’t neglect the other parts of me. Afterall God gave me a mind and physical body. And a purpose!

The Holistic Approach

• Soul
• Body
• Mind

The Soul

The first day of the conference was exhausting, because I didn’t sleep well the night prior. At the end of the day, the speakers prayed over us, individually. I didn’t have a prayer request, but God knows our heart and the speaker prayed that through Jesus I would receive rest.

The second day, I still didn’t have a prayer request. I told my friend I was going to not accept a prayer to make sure everyone else received a prayer. My friend told me, “Karen, that’s for Jesus to decide.” At the closing, while music was playing and the leaders were praying, Julieanne, the group leader, reached for me. She held me close and prayed over me. At the end of my prayer she said, “Your roots run deep.”

Roots Run Deep

In the context of a belief or problem it means something has lasted a life-time. It shows that there is unresolved, deep-seated problems. The wound I carried was very deep.

But when you look at the Bible, having roots that run deep provide hope. Deep roots is a strong, spiritual connection to God. Faith is all we need to heal, it just takes a full surrender.

The Mind

My mind is what got me in trouble. I had to retrain my thought-life to heal. Today I don’t pass up an opportunity to learn. How else will we grow if we don’t expose ourselves to new ideas?

Before attending the Healing Journey Today, I Am, Conference, I questioned how can it help me? I don’t have any physical ailments and by working my recovery my healing is going well. But my mind wasn’t ready to fully acknowledge my childhood wounds.

On the way home, my girlfriend lent me her ear and I was able to peel back the bandage enough to address the wound that remained. I thought writing alone would provide healing. A step to not be overlooked is to share your wound with a trusted friend.

By verbalizing my wound to a trusted friend, I am one step closer to being free.

The Body

Yoga is a discipline that I started along with my recovery practice. While I incorporate yoga into my recovery, exercise alone doesn’t provide healing. Diet and exercise complement my spiritual and mind healing.

Our body’s are sensitive and will be the first to remind us that there is an emotional wound in need of healing. When I’m on the yoga mat it slows my body down so I can be intentional and to listen to my body. Like alcohol, exercise can provide an escape but doesn’t solve life’s problems. Yoga offers a way to build physical strength, while my faith works my core.

At the end of the second day of the conference a prayer finally settled into my heart, for my body is to be cleansed of impurities to do God’s work. God has blessed me with a healthy body. It’s my responsibility to keep it pure and fit, both physically and spiritually.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

2 Timothy 2:21 ESV

Conclusion

Following the tragedy of September 11, 2001, each person had a different approach to their healing. Some New Yorker’s leaned into their faith, others may have turned their back. There are people who succumbed to disease, while others found healing. Today people are still in need of healing.

The most important thing we can do is to open ourselves to different approaches to healing. If I maintained an attitude that a spiritual healing conference wasn’t for me, today I wouldn’t be healed of that deep childhood wound. Never forsake the power of prayer.

This coming weekend I have another opportunity to learn. A friend invited me to listen to a group of people that will offer different perspectives, share their stories and encourage growth. TEDx Butterfish Cove brings together an extraordinary lineup of innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists, veterans, educators, healthcare leaders, artists, and changemakers from around the world for a full day of inspiring talks designed to challenge the way you think, spark new ideas, and leave you with practical insights you can apply to your own life.

Our pain can last a lifetime, but when we open our hearts to Jesus in a minute we can find healing.