A Reminder For The Broken-Hearted

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13

Heartbreak is quite possibly the worst feeling you can feel on this earth.

Heartbreak over loss. Heartbreak over disappointment. Heartbreak over rejection. Heartbreak over abandonment. Heartbreak over unmet expectations. There are so many reasons for which our hearts can break.

This morning, as I was straightening up my desk to get ready for work, I noticed one of the books on my desk looked like it had something stuck in the middle of it. As I opened the book, a handwritten note fell out. On one side of the note, today’s key verse was written out in a beautiful script font. And on the other side of the note was a message from a good friend.

I began to read her words, and I realized that this was the note she had given me the day after I faced one of the toughest heartbreaks of my life. I was on the front end of a valley, eyes puffy from all the tears that came the night before, and she saw that I needed encouragement. I needed empathy. And I needed to be reminded of the truth that God is close to the broken hearted, that He binds up their wounds, and that He saves those who are crushed in spirit.

I don’t want to try to summarize her note because I know I won’t do it justice. So instead, I’ll share it with you. If your heart is broken this morning, may these words sink into your soul, reminding you that you are seen, you are loved, and you are not alone, even in the darkest valley.

—

Dear friend,

I want you to know I’m thinking about you and praying for you today. I’ve felt a similar pain, and I know that this is truly anything but pleasant.

I know it makes it hard to wake up in the morning and to fall asleep at night. I know it takes over your mind at any given moment and makes it harder to function. I know it makes you face hard questions about God, yourself, and life in general. I know it makes you wonder if you’ll ever be able to genuinely laugh again.

I say all of this because I want you to know…I’m with you. In the midst of all this mess and pain, I’m here to sit with you in it. I know it can feel like you need to put on a “happy face” but know you never have to do that with me.

There will come a day when joy will surprise you and without having to try, you will be happy. But in the meantime, until that joy sneaks up on you, I pray courage and strength over you - to feel every feeling, to ask the hard questions, and to continue taking one step at a time, even when it feels like you couldn’t possibly take another.

I pray hope fills your heart, even here in the valley. Hope in God, the One who holds your life in the palm of His hand, the One who catches every tear and sits and cries with you, the One who works all things out for your good, the One who will lead you through this valley.

I love you friend, and I’m here.

—

Reading this on the other side of my heartbreak, I can tell you that my friend was right in every sense. There is still hope to be found. There is still joy to be experienced through Christ. There is still good to be seen here in the land of the living. I pray that you find all of those things, friend, and that one day you’ll look back and see that God was good, He was faithful, and He was with you, even in the valley.