How to Heal a Hurting Heart

Thank you Gwen Smith for today’s message:

A friend of ours has struggled with heart problems for years. He has gone through seasons of wellness and seasons of strain. Recently, his health challenges moved from the back burner of his life to the front when his doctors recognized the need to operate.

He didn’t just need a simple procedure. He needed open heart surgery to the max. I mean we are talking valve replacements, ablations, hole repairs and more. You name it – and the surgeon pretty much had to do it.

In the wee hours of the morning prior to his surgery, our friend’s heart decided to cause problems that led them to the Emergency Room instead of the Operating Room. Thankfully, his surgeon rushed to the scene and took him right into surgery.

Hours later, his heart was repaired. In the days that followed, scary set backs came and went. Each one was dealt with head on. Thankfully, after 8 days in the hospital, our friend was able to go home yesterday.

I asked his wife how I could pray for him. Was there anything specific?

Her answer surprised me. “Just pray that he will have the will to press on through the healing process because it is going to be a long, hard haul.”

When I hung up from our conversation, I paused and reflected on her request.

In essence, I will be praying for him to have the heart {the strength, the guts, the determination} to fight for his heart to heal fully.

Wow. I know that struggle well.

Week after week, friend after friend, loved one after loved one, struggle after struggle, conversation after conversation… this is one of the biggest challenges we face. Having a heart fixed on healing. To press through to a place of wellness and strength: spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically. To not back down from the resistance before us in light of the rewards that await us. To run the race of faith well!

I’ve asked God for forgiveness, but I just don’t know how to forgive myself.

I know the Bible says God loves me, but I feel invisible. I don’t FEEL loved and adored.

I believe that God has a plan for my life, but I’m so tired of waiting for it to develop.

I want restoration in my relationship, but I will not be the one to make the first move.

I’ve lost my love and hate being alone. I no longer have the will to live or dream.

I know my eating patterns are unhealthy and they undermine my wellness, but God loves me just the way I am!

I worry all the time and struggle with anxiety. I really want to trust God, but often fail.

After we go through initial heart repairs with Jesus, many of us find ourselves as wounded believers. Close to whole, but still broken. We want healing but won’t or don’t know how to move forward in the direction of the Healer toward the complete wholeness He has for us.

This is hard stuff. I know. I struggle too. We all do.

Ultimately: every one of us is a work in progress. Our challenges and failures are real and should be acknowledged and confessed. But our faith that God can and will tend to our wounds must be greater.

So I join in prayer as our friend faces months of therapy, doctors appointments, medicine changes, financial strains, emotional exhaustion, and unseen struggles.

And I’m grateful that we pray to the one, true God who loves, sees, hears, purifies, answers, comforts, protects, forgives, provides for, refines, restores, redeems and heals those who cry out to Him. He is the great Surgeon who rushes to us in our emergency rooms and takes us to the operating room of His presence.

The One who knows how to care for every wound, burden and bruise we bear.

So, when your heart needs healing: PRAY.

Pray when loneliness, laziness, or depression takes up residence in your heart. Pray when you are tempted to anesthetize with food, wine, exercise, shopping, or pain pills. Pray when the arms of that man seem more attractive than the purity you are called to in Christ. Pray when your doubts seem stronger than your faith.

Press through barriers in the strength of Jesus. His plan is good. His power is unending. His faithfulness is unwavering. His presence is accessible 24/7.

Move in His direction and give Him the burdens of your heart.

Pray.

Believe.

Trust.

Have a blessed day!

 

Inner CRAP

This past Saturday, I was invited to be a vendor at a Woman’s Pampering Event at a local church.  An AWESOME concept that combined women business owners with a morning of networking. Not an unusual, right? The best part was the speaker who touched us all with her story and the praise team songs.  It was just what I needed as I am getting ready to start on what for me is an intense commitment to my business.

I remembered seeing a this in a recent blog: When you are ready, you will know.  

Change is a funny thing.  Although I embrace it, I also tend to let the excuses take over and as a result run from it.  The truth is that when I am ready to run it is usually because my inner crap comes to the surface and lingers until I address it.

De-cluttering your inner crap can be difficult if you have no idea where to start. So I’ve found 4 easy to understand classifications:

C: Conflicts

This is when you question what you think you know about success. You may say to yourself: Shouldn’t I be further along than I already am?  I am doing everything I’m supposed to be doing but I still don’t see results. Why?

This is the comparison game.  This is when you question whether or not you are in the right business?  My new mantra when this hits is: I am exactly where I need to be and I will define success to my own standards.

R: Resistance

This is the excuse phase.  This is when you may say to yourself:  I can’t do this because I have “obligations.”  I’m not good at [fill in the blanks].  

Maybe you know it as Negative Nellie or Doubtful Debbie.  Turn the negative into a positive: Whatever I don’t know I will figure out.

A: Assumptions

This is when you base decisions on emotions or wrong information. You may say to yourself: I need to build my brand/business “this way” because so/so does it that way.  I know what my audience wants even though I didn’t do any market research.

Due to my inner “crap”, I have jumped on the bandwagon of many training programs.  Seeking to find the ONE.  The truth is that despite lots of money spent, I have based my decision on emotions (doubt and fear).  I have tried to fit into the mold that others think I should be….Instead try: My brand + business is a work in progress and that’s OK.

P: Projections

This is when you put your own ‘ish onto other people. You may say to others: You’re doing it wrong.  You’re not going to succeed doing it that way.

My projections are more like “pre-jedgements” on whether or not people will like my products, my party style, the business opportunity or better yet ME!  When people decide to go with another company or another consultant, I doubt myself and my abilities.  I am not alone, right?  Instead try: There’s room for everyone to thrive doing it their own way.

Success is an inside job so take some time to tackle whatever inner crap you may have so that you can clear to space for AWESOME to happen.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

#believe #crap #NegativeNellie #DoubtfulDebbie #change #partywithHope #projections #assumptions #conflict #resistance