I often wonder what my heart looks like inside my body, not in terms of its physical appearance but rather its emotional side. What do hurt and loss honestly look like in our hearts?
Each time I felt my heart shatter into pieces from my first difficult breakup to the death of a loved one, did it change my heart? When I experienced these heartaches, it sure felt as if my heart was breaking, and if I were to see it, I would see gaping holes that once were filled.
Psalms 34:18 (NIV) says,
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Looking back on my life, I see how God brought me through the hurt and pain I’ve experienced. Feeling his presence when I walked deep in the thick of it wasn’t always easy.
Everyone is going to go through hard seasons of life. For me, when I was experiencing deep hurt or loss, I often felt confused, too. Back then, I thought I had faith and was praying, but my prayers were not heard or answered. I wrestled a lot with God. It wasn’t easy to see or feel then, but now I know that my prayers may not be answered how I want them to; however, it doesn’t mean God isn’t listening. I now know that he uses everything for good. You may ask, “How could losing someone you love be used for good?” or “How could this pain I’m feeling from betrayal or broken trust be used for good?” I’ve asked both of these and more.
God uses our story to help others when they experience something similar. If we allow him to, he will put people in our path who need our story.
So, how do we move on when love hurts?
*You take one step at a time, keep believing in and trusting God’s plan, and allow yourself time to grieve and heal.
*You let people in your life who love you, even if it takes time to rebuild trust.
*You find peace by reading God’s Word and listening to others who can lighten your darkness. You give yourself a break and realize learning to love after being hurt is a process.
You can rebuild, and you can find joy again. Even though I miss my loved ones dearly and have hard days, I keep moving forward. I keep believing that God’s purpose will prevail. I find ways to teach my girls about my parents, my in-laws, and others we lost so that their memories will live forever.
I believe we will be reunited in God’s kingdom one day. Until then, I will strive to live my life in a way that honors those we lost.
Whatever your heart is going through today, I want you to know God is near. He hears, and he grieves with you. Your hurt, your pain, and your heartache will not be overlooked.
God is good, and he loves you more than you can imagine.
Do you want to dig deeper into the scriptures when you are hurting? You can find a free PDF HERE.
