What to Do When Your Heart is Broken

I don’t have to explain to you how a broken heart feels.  Most of us have experienced a broken heart more than once.  The piercing pain of your heart feels like it’s having the very life being squeezed from it.

Whatever is or has been close to your heart is vulnerable to be broken. When we love or care about someone else, there will always be that potential to have our heart shattered to pieces.  Our hearts get broken over betrayal, rejection, loss of loved ones, broken dreams and more.

It’s easy to feel like it’s just not worth it anymore to put ourselves out there…it’s not worth it to let down our safe guards and reservations in order to open our hearts to others, who may end up hurting us.

I know I’ve been dealing with this very thing with our nursing home ministry.  We’ve lost seven of our faithful service attenders in just the last short few months.  And just recently another dear lady named Dorothy, who has been VERY faithful for the last few years to our services at the nursing home, just passed away.

I can still remember the first day I walked in to Dorothy’s room to introduce ourselves. She laid a big impression on me that day, and I was not disappointed in her wonderful character and faithfulness to God. She became a dear friend, and I opened my heart widely and deeply to love her.

My heart is broken now.  It aches. There’s an emptiness because I cannot sit and chat with my dear friend.  I want to close the doors of my heart from being vulnerable again in our nursing home ministry.  At their age, you know at any day it could be the last time you chat with them.  It’s frightening to visit the nursing home and approach an empty room.

I realize that Dorothy is having a wonderful time now in Heaven.  She longed for years to see her husband again in Heaven. I would not want to pull her back to here on earth. What Dorothy would want is for me to love and encourage someone else in the nursing home.

Here’s what to do when your heart is broken.  Of course, it’s easier said than done, as they say. But if your heart has been recently broken as well, here’s three things you can start doing…

1. Draw nigh to the Lord.

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…” James 4:8a

The Lord sees our hurts, pains and burdens.  He’s the Mighty Healer of broken hearts.  Stay close to Him…draw from His grace and strength.

    2. Keep busy.

Idleness let’s us sit and listen to Satan’s lies. Broken hearts take time to heal.  With time, the pain will lessen.  Under tough circumstances, the pain is left as a scar that really never goes away.  Use those pains and scars to be a blessing and help to others.  It will take the focus off of ourselves, and we’ll feel joy in helping others.

    3. Replace the void. Open up your heart again.

The best way to heal a broken heart is to exercise and use it. Your heart is not the same anymore.  It’s unique now. You’ve stretched the boundaries..but for some reason it can now be used even more productively.  Through God, this becomes possible.  A little miracle happens when you open your heart again.

Others are able to experience Christ’s love through us.  Without opening your heart again, you miss the chance to be used of God.

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Philippians 1:6

If your heart is broken today, remember that the Lord is nigh unto YOU.  Hang in there… let God help you mend the broken pieces.  Then, be prepared to put your heart to good use once again…in a greater way.

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. ~ Psalms 34:18

Has your heart been broken?  What did you do that really helped you to heal?  Please share your comment below…

God bless you and your family,

Rhonda White