For the Brokenhearted

Have you ever felt your heart split right down the middle? I see it on phones, in Hallmark cards, on notes and letters and think it is a cute and sweet cartoon.

However, when your heart in your chest is truly breaking, it's not so sweet or cute. 

Recently I have had to face a few hurts in my life. One of these hurts that I am facing I thought I was over, you know..done with. I forgave the person and went on my merry way; never looking back. However, something changed the skip in my step.  The hurt rose up again and I was more broken than before. 

I was taught to count it all joy when I fall into trials (hurt is no exception) knowing that the testing of my faith produces patients. When I hurt I want the hurt to stop right then, but I know it doesn't.. Sometimes the hurt lingers like a soar thumb.  I am to wait it out in order to allow myself to grow stronger during a time I feel so vulnerable. So where does your strength come from? 

When I was fourteen years old, there was  young man I had deep feelings for. He broke my heart and I thought I heard it break it was so painful. I know it took time for my heart to heal, but I didn't help it heal in a good way, but in a way that caused me to turn from God and towards other men. This definitely wasn't a healthy way to heal. It only caused me more heartache. It took me almost 30 years to figure that out. So now, I have a broken heart again, only this time, I have a partner, whom I adore, to help me walk through this hurt. However, he can't fix it like most men want to fix things. 

So the only thing I know to do is to put ALL of my trust in the Lord, hold on fast for the changes that may be coming, and be willing to be transformed into a new creature. I feel like I am in a straight jacket though and have no control. Oh, wait...I don't, not honestly.  You and I are only in control of our reactions to other people's actions. So here is a shift in my broken heart as I write to you. I can choose to be happy, I can choose to say "I love you my brother/sister." I can look at the happy times instead of the sad times, and I can offer forgiveness and look for the lesson in the pain.  So, how do you handle pain? Do you give it a temporary fix I like I use to? Do you find healthy ways to change your stinking thinking? 

However you choose to handle pain, I hope you will count it all joy also and remember:

Psalm 30:5b

 Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

Marjorie's interpretation is our hurt will last only for a short time but joy will always appear after the tears. 

Have a blessed day and be encouraged!