A Broken Heart for the Brokenhearted

PSALMS 34:18 The Lord is near unto them that are of a broken heart... 

On this day a year ago, the Lord interrupted my schedule and gave me an opportunity to minister to a director whose child had passed just a few short weeks before my daughter. The hour passed so fast, we hardly noticed. She stated that we are in an exclusive club. Her child was 33 - mine 38. Our lives paralleled uncannily. It's even interesting that she used the word club. I told the Lord, in my heart in 2012, that this was not a club I wanted to be in.  I said these words only in my heart because there are some things I don't say out loud, so that I give no opportunity for them to manifest.  Like my daughter, the director's child suffered terribly from a rare form of cancer, too. There are no words to describe how it feels to watch your precious children in torment. You just do everything that you can to ease that pain. At times,  my new friend and I just sat in absolute silence, other times, she would cry.  I was there to listen when she needed to speak and was able to convey what she could not at times - then we both cried. I held her hand, prayed with her, and sang over her. We had never met before, but we knew each other's heart. From one broken heart to another, we identified with each other in unique ways.  She too, loves helping people, and I found out that both our interests are rooted in helping with life's basic necessities: food, shelter, clothing - showing people the love of Jesus.

As we continued to share our hearts with one another, I learned that the director was heartbroken due to long term friendships being severed  during this tumultuous period, when she needed friendships the most. The old saying, "You find out who your true friends are when you are going through the most difficult seasons of your life", is true! My new friend learned many valuable lessons, much the same as I did.  I am so blessed with friends,  sons, and daughters that I never had before, and I am truly thankful for having gained such richness to my life.  Often times, it was people that the director did not know that helped her the most, or that gave her the support that she never expected. It's strange how that works. Though the struggle is tremendous, she took some comfort in knowing that I identified with her pain. I REALLY did - in every way. How many times have I shared that our trials and tribulations are not about us, but to assist someone else along life's journey? That is more of a revelation now than it has ever been.

Please pray for my friend mentioned above, and all who have lost a child - no matter how they died. I take comfort in knowing that Jesus died to identify with both of us. Indeed - all of us. The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him and I'm helped.

This entire ordeal reminded me of the classic children's poem, Humpty Dumpty: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.  All the king's horses and all the king's men could not put him back together again, "but God can".  He can take every shattered piece of our lives and reconstruct masterpieces out of them as we yield ourselves to him for His purpose.

REVELATION 21:4 God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.