Eileen and I are praying for a young man in Southern California who has recently been diagnosed with a serious form of cancer. Jason is a youth pastor, and this situation has transpired very quickly. Jason’s pain became so severe that he had to be in the emergency room instead of present with his precious wife for the birth of their third child.
Even for God’s people, sometimes the disappointments of this life defy explanation. Our Lord is always with us — we know that both intellectually and theologically — but at times our griefs and sadnesses are overwhelming for even the strongest among us. Who has never asked God, “Why?”
Thank you for hanging in there for this series on healing for our broken hearts. I have learned some things putting these communications together, and I hope that you have as well. You may not be facing a situation exactly like Jason’s, but I know that you understand how quickly Providence can land any of us in an unexpected place where we now have to live — even though we’re unsure what our “new normal” will mean for us or for those we love. Maybe your heart is broken even as you read these words.
For most of us, life includes its share of desperate trials and crippling defeats. That’s one of the reasons why Jesus taught us to focus on today, and to leave tomorrow in His hands (Matthew 6:34). Life can be difficult at best, and even our most life-giving relationships can inflict on us the most profound pain that we’ll ever experience. Love is risky, but well worth it. C.S. Lewis observed: “Grief and pain are the price humans have to pay for the love and total commitment we have for another person. The more we love, the more we hurt when we lose the object of our love. But if we are honest with ourselves, would we have it any other way?”
On our journey of trusting Christ with the harshest wounds we’ll ever have to face, here’s where we’ve journeyed so far (our road to recovery, of sorts) …
FACE YOUR FALLENNESS.
SPEAK YOUR SADNESS.
IGNITE YOUR IDENTITY.
WAKE UP YOUR WONDER.
In my final chapter of this blog series, I’ll add one more: DREAM YOUR DREAMS!
We serve a big God, a God who is able to do more for us (and for His own glory) than we could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20) — do we not? He specializes in rescuing the helpless, and in the last-minute deliverance which no one anticipated. What I mean to say is that we can trust Him even with our lingering pain and grief. If someone has hurt you, choose to love again. That may include many changes on your part — even a real repentance from seeing God as less than Sovereign and able. When it comes to God’s love, you are never out of bounds! By the power of the Holy Spirit, you can choose to pour that love into others (Romans 5:5).
The Bible mentions the heart nearly 300 times, and it’s not talking about the muscle in our chest. It’s talking about the core of our most authentic self. The heart is the place where we love with all we’ve got (even our enemies), where we discover our wellspring and our joy in Christ, and where we dream our most gigantic dreams for the future! It is the center of who we are.
If Christ is in you, you already have everything you need. Your heart is His, so love is yours. Sometimes the love we desperately need is ours only when we give it away. When we need Him most, surely we can trust our Savior for the healing we desire. “He heals the broken-hearted, and bandages their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).
As always, Christ is more than enough.
Pastor Charles
Such a beautiful series, Charles, laced with the sweet grace of our Lord, who whispers His love even into our pain.
Oh yes, love is risky, but well worth it! Thank you, Pastor Charles, for your encouraging words about the struggles of life.
Good to hear there is always help where there is God.
The new normals are tough sometimes and the wounds are deep and life is scary but then, the Son shines through and we are good for another day. Thanks for the series that reminded us we are not alone.