THE GOOD KIND OF HEARTACHE
I´ve always wanted my corner of the internet to inspire, encourage, and give hope. I want friends who come across my content to find reasons to smile and be reminded of all the good in life.
I consider my content to be an extension of my life, which means that I am not just joy-focused when I write, post pictures, and make videos, I am intentional about guarding my peace and increasing my joy in my life.
That being said, you´d understand why I feel that writing this is uncharted territory for me. But hey, growth often calls us beyond our comfort zone. So here we go…
I´m sure you´ve heard about what´s going on in Ukraine at the moment, and it´s likely that you also heard that this week the Colombian government decriminalized abortion up to 24 weeks, so I won´t go into detail here. But man, my heart is heavy. I´ll be honest, initially, my default response was to reject the bad news, to push away all risk of feeling sad or afraid. I didn´t know how to process it all and I wasn´t sure I wanted to. It´s a risky thing to feel. Especially if feeling sad, or even angry, about what is happening to others threatens to interrupt my own peace and happiness. But last night, as I slowly let myself feel sad about what is happening in Ukraine, as I felt angry and broken by the blindness of the government to decriminalize abortion (which we are fighting in prayer and peaceful protests), I felt God come close. Closer than He was when I tried to not let the news ¨get to me¨. And I remembered the words Jesus said on the Mount of Beatitudes:
¨Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.¨
Matthew 5:4
I always applied this verse to my own mourning, believing that no prayer is left unheard, no tear uncounted, and no heart left without comfort. I still believe that to be true. But last night, I wondered if this verse could actually be talking about mourning for others. Could this type of mourning not just provide comfort for them, but also for me? Could feeling pain in my heart for something so foreign to my reality, produce more of heaven in me? What if God wants to release a new kind of comfort -- something greater than what we´ve known, a comfort that strengthens and produces joy in trials -- a comfort that will only come when we mourn with and for others?
(Disclaimer ⚠️): I´ve learned that there´s a balance when it comes to our emotions. Neglecting them can be just as harmful as letting them rule our life. Acknowledging what we´re feeling and TAKING IT TO GOD leads to growth, hope, and renewed strength. But acknowledging and accepting are two different things. So by no means am I saying to accept sadness. What I am saying is that it´s okay to let our hearts hurt for others. (This ache, however, should under no circumstance cause us to criticize, judge, and contribute to the harm.) If we let God tug at our hearts, that ache can actually impulse us to pray for others, cry with them, and experience a kind of comfort that is given only to the selfless and humble of heart.
Honestly, I´ve cried plenty about my circumstances and problems. And I believe that God has heard my prayers and is working. But there´s got to be more to prayer than just me-me-me, right? My soul has received great rest and comfort when I pray for others. I may not fully understand the theology behind it, but I know that praying for others and walking with them in their pain somehow strengthens me. What is happening in the world is an opportunity for us to respond with genuine love and hunger for the Kingdom. It´s so easy to be the Christian we don´t want to be -- the kind that turns away when someone is need, the kind that chooses their own wellbeing over their neighbor´s, the kind that is ¨too busy doing the Lord´s work¨ to bend a knee and cry with Jesus.
Though my mind cannot fully comprehend the pain others are experiencing, my heart can lean into compassion and stir my spirit to pray. If the ache I feel in my heart only produces a social media post or pity comment, I´ve missed it. This message is for me. Last night I was so confronted by my own lack of attention to God´s priorities. I´m thankful for the sorrow I felt. The godly ache that produces prayer, or like Paul put it, ¨sadness that leads to repentance¨ (2 Cor 7:10). I want to receive mercy, I want to inherit the earth, I want to be satisfied. But all of those things are the result of humility, mourning, and sacrificial love. I´m here for it (hand up emoji). I hope you are, too. Because:
¨Though one goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed,
he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves.¨
Psalm 126:5-6
