When Your Heart is Broken…Believe to See the Goodness of the Lord

I sat in church yesterday feeling…heart broken. Sad.

On Friday night, a teenage girl had been killed in a car accident. She had visited our church with one of our youth group girls before. I knew of her family, though I did not know them personally. My heart breaks for the pain and loss they are feeling right now. My heart breaks for the friends she has left behind who will be trying to understand this unexpected tragedy. My heart breaks…

On Sunday morning during services, we also found out that another little girl had passed away. Her aunt and uncle attend our church. She had been battling cancer for several years. I have followed her story and prayed for her and her family for years. My heart breaks for them. My heart just breaks…

As I sat and considered this, I couldn’t help but think of the other friends and family in my life that are going through a difficult time right now. I just kept thinking of all the suffering…and it made me sad.

While I know that suffering is, unfortunately, part of our life here on earth, I want to admit to you that I don’t like it!

Now some of you may already be thinking of the typical responses that Christians give in times of suffering, and believe me, I know them too. I know what we are supposed to say–or maybe I should say what we think we are supposed to say.

Things like…

“Everything happens for a reason.”

“God is in control.”

“We can’t understand God’s ways.”

“You just have to trust the Lord.”

Yes, those things are all true, but I have learned FINALLY that those “trite” responses to suffering do nothing to help the people who are going through the trials. I say FINALLY because I used to think I needed to know what to say. That I should have all the answers because I was a Christian.

The truth is…I don’t. I don’t understand. And it is perfectly okay to admit it and probably more appreciated to just say, “I’m sorry” or “I’m praying for you.” Giving a person a hug and having a good cry with them may be just what they need in the midst of their trial.

And while I don’t understand, I can believe to see the goodness of the LORD.

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm 27:13-14

These are my favorite verses in times of suffering…because the Lord gave them to me in the midst of my own time of suffering years ago. I didn’t understand. I couldn’t see the good. But the Lord asked me to see the goodness OF THE LORD, to wait on Him, to be of good courage, and HE strengthened my heart. And over and over since that time.

When your heart is broken…believe to see the goodness of the LORD.