Hope For Your Hurting Heart

“…humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” I Peter 5:6,7

These past few months have been intense. Each day brings something new, and unfortunately, there seems to be more bad news than good in many cases. I am amazed at the strength of the human heart. We endure much pain, heartbreak and loss, and yet many people have no choice but to still move forward. It reveals to me the Lord’s hand in His creation. He has created us with the ability to be resilient and to withstand the most difficult of trials — but only through His help and guidance can we overcome in a healthy way. Not everyone is able to move forward as they should, as some people turn to vices to help them to even get through the day. These are temporary fixes and can never truly bring about healing for a broken heart.

As a family, our lives have been forever changed. The normal day to day tasks are anything but normal anymore. There just seems to be this big, gaping hole that hangs around each daily event that Mom used to be a part of. Although the days come and go and we are getting through each of those days thus far in our journey, there is always a noticeable silence at times. The same goes for church. Mom’s absence is painfully present…if that makes any sense! She was such a huge part of our church and was involved in everything that took place with our church family. We all notice that she is no longer there, and sometimes church may seem a little subdued at times now. And that is okay. I have come to realize in this journey that you cannot rush grieving. Although we will continue on as a church with our events and activities, it is okay to take a break from those sometimes to grieve properly. When you rush the grieving process, your heart will not fully heal. I experienced this firsthand following our twins’ miscarriage in 2004, and my heart never truly healed until I faced the pain that I had been suppressing for a very long time...nine years after their passing, to be exact.

So many of my friends are grieving right now. The pain of grief is one that cannot be truly explained. No one can fully enter into another person’s grief. My pain is one that no one else can feel. Some people work through their grief by talking about their loved one, others may not want to talk to anyone at all. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. But, be kind to yourself. Give yourself the time you need to grieve. Cry, pray, mourn. Wise King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:4, there is “a time to weep and a time laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Although the grief may be unbearable at times, there will come a day when laughter and dancing will replace our weeping and mourning.

I am not sure if this will help anyone else at all, but I do know that it is helping me. I am making sure that I take the time to remember Mom. I am taking the time I need to work through the painful last couple of weeks that she was in the hospital. I am taking the time to share fond memories of Mom with my family. I may not always be present for everyone else right now like I was before this whole journey began, but I will be again one day soon. There have been many things that have come up at church that have needed our attention, and some of my grieving has been put on hold at times. But, in my quiet moments, I remind myself again to take the time I need. I believe that the Lord will bring the healing to my heart in His time, and in turn, I will be ready to help minister to others who may be hurting as well.

If you are experiencing pain right now, know that there is hope for your hurting heart. His name is Jesus. He will bind up your wounds and wipe away your tears when you cast your pain, anxiety, and cares on Him. The Lord of all creation knows your hurt, and He cares for you!