The Lazarus Principle By Lisa Warren | Odyssey of a Ragamuffin

There was a season I didn’t think I’d ever rise again. The pain ran deep, both in my body and in my story.  Wounds from my childhood never quite healed and scars still run deep to this day. Then came the chronic illness, the chronic pain, the fatigue, the endless aches that often still whisper, "You’re too broken to matter."

I believed those lies for a long time. I let the weight of trauma and pain become my tomb.

But God... God, who calls dead things to life, the same voice that spoke to Lazarus through the dark, also spoke my name! He didn’t yank me out into the light. He simply called, “Come out.”

And I did.  Or at least, I started to.

It wasn’t graceful or quick. Coming out looked a lot like stumbling, weeping, and wondering if the light would ever feel warm again.

Healing has been a slow resurrection that is holy, messy, and beautiful. Some days I still trip over the grave clothes of shame, exhaustion, and fear. But every small, trembling step toward hope is a miracle in motion.

I’ve learned that Jesus alone has the power to call us from death to life. But the beautiful thing is that He invites us and those around us to take an active part in the unbinding.

Jesus speaks life, and we learn to walk it out. He calls us out, his very breath speaks life.  Our community is gifted with the privilege of helping to unwrap what still binds us, like the pain, fear, lies, and loneliness.

We don’t have to be “fixed.”  We simply need to be loved and out of that love comes restoration and life.

So this is me; a ragamuffin girl, still healing, still learning, still stepping out of the grave one breath at a time. I don’t have all the answers. But I have a Savior who calls me by name and I have people who help unbind the parts of me that still feel dead.

Are you standing in your own tomb of exhaustion, shame, or despair?

I want you to listen intently for his voice, listen closely because that voice is calling you by name.

Come out! Be courageous! There is hope. There is always hope!

Take a few quiet moments here to reflect.

1. What “grave clothes” are you still wrapped in? Is it fear, shame, fatigue, self-doubt? The list could go on and on here, so take your time and really examine what those grave clothes might be.

2. Who in your circle helps you “unbind”, points you toward the light, encourages you to keep walking, and reminds you of who you are?

3. Where have you heard Jesus whisper your name lately, calling you toward life again?

4. What step, no matter how small, could you take this week toward the light of healing and hope?

5. How might your story, even the broken parts, become part of someone else’s unbinding?

Remember, resurrection rarely happens all at once. Sometimes it’s one small breath, one honest prayer, one brave step at a time.

Prayer

Jesus, you see the places where I still feel buried. You see the pain, the weariness, and the doubts that I can’t shake. Call my name again, Lord.  Help me to believe you are truly there and you are waiting for me, and surround me with people who will help unbind what is still holding me back. Thank you for loving me into life, again and again. Amen.