Linda Buishas
I awoke from a dream, sobbing. In it, I was looking at a photo taken of a wonderful time when my entire family was together. My nieces and nephews were little, and my parents and brother were still with us. Then, while still dreaming, I began to cry because of how very much I missed those times and the ones who have passed away. When I awoke, my heart ached with sorrow. Who has not had such a feeling?
Sadly, in reality, there is an experience that is far worse. We call it a “broken heart,” emotional pain so deep that our physical heart pounds so hard that we feel as though it might burst. Cardiologists and the Mayo Clinic agree that there is a “Broken Heart Syndrome,” “a heart condition that’s often brought on when a very severe sudden and emotional situation occurs.” Addressing the physical state of the heart is between one and their doctor. But what do we do when the emotional pain continues to come in overwhelming waves of sorrow?
How do we, as Christians, mend our broken hearts? The Bible tells us, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted; He saves those whose spirits are crushed.” On our worst days, when our pain is deepest, our faith seems weakest, and we find it hard to go on, I pray that we would sense His presence, knowing He’ll hold us up when our own strength fails, for His grace is sufficient for us. His power is made perfect in our weakness.
God’s Word gives life. Meditating on His Word helps us to align our thoughts with His, to become rooted and grounded in His love, and to have faith in His promises. It teaches us to control our thoughts and to only speak life-giving words.
Jesus was sent to heal the brokenhearted. There is nothing we experience that Jesus didn’t endure to set us free from suffering. We have victory over darkness through His resurrection. By his wounds, we are healed. By Christ’s parting gift of His Spirit, we are comforted in the most trying times and are given His divine strength to carry on. We can trust Him to heal us, for healing lies not in what we can do but in what we trust God to do in and for us. When we sense the burden growing lighter and the pain begins to lessen, we can be grateful for what we’ve overcome and who we have become. We’ll see the beauty that can emerge from the ashes.
He heals our broken hearts and binds up our wounds. Though scars may linger, may they be reminders of the protection, gently formed, when our Great Physician knitted our hearts back together with His love. May Valentine hearts remind you of our Father’s love for you and that there is no heart that He cannot mend. The first step is believing that He can.
Contact Linda for upcoming Bible Studies at [email protected].