Waiting

Lately, it’s seems like I’ve spent a lot of time thinking, thinking about broken things, broken relationships and broken hearts. Probably because several or a lot of things in my life have broken down recently. Some of the things that have broken down are stupid things really, stupid because they’re just things but they’re utilitarian in nature and when they broke, they caused just enough inconvenience to interrupt my happy day. Some of these things consisted of my vacuum cleaner, washing machine, and a microwave. And lately, it seems like many of the people I’m speaking to are struggling as well. The running theme I’m discovering is that something broke in their life too, like their car or their computer or their heart. It can feel so frustrating bearing through those difficult and painful seasons of struggle and heart breaks. And broken hearts are the absolute worst, aren’t they? When your heart feels broken, you feel like the bleeding will never end. It’s so difficult to mask the pain of a broken heart because it requires effort, and energy and it’s exhausting! You think you’re masking it, but those closest to you see it and feel it pretty quickly. So really, you’re not fooling anyone. I think broken hearts take time, sometimes a lot of time. Broken hearts make for tough seasons in life. And when you're in it, you're in a season of waiting, waiting for your healer to come, to make you whole again. I find when my heart feels broken, I need people to come along side of me and hold my hand and love me through it until I feel strong and can stand tall again. And when others are going through it, I want to offer the same kind of tenderness, and love and care I received when I was hurting.

When we’re hurting, life feels dark, scary and lonely. When those dark seasons surface, we need to remember what God has revealed to us in the light. Some of the things I’ve learned in the light are as follows: God loves us ridiculously and boundlessly. He’s for us always and forever and He wants His very best for us. God also calls us to walk in the spirit of forgiveness. I know that’s a tough one when we feel wronged and are hurting but its gospel my friend. Forgiveness doesn't mean that you condone what was done to you. It's about letting go, its about liberating yourself and giving up the hope that the past could have been any different.

Dear one, we need to remember that we are never alone. God is with us whether we feel Him or not. Difficult seasons teach us a lot about ourselves and others if we pay attention. Here’s the upside of surviving hard things like a broken heart: when we get to the other side, we’ll be wiser, stronger and better. We need to be patient and wait because it’s in the waiting that God speaks to us and can work with us and in us. It’s in the waiting where we learn, where the healing begins.

Can I let you in on a little secret? My faith in God has never been about easy answers. I wish I could tell you that it was but that would be far from the truth. I think the hardest part about trusting God is exercising faith muscles when we feel lost, hurt and hopeless. It takes guts, trust, perseverance and above all else, hope to put your faith in God for a better tomorrow, even if you can’t imagine what that tomorrow will look like. Hope is an amazing thing; it allows us to hold on and to believe that all things broken will be addressed by our Maker if we invite Him into the process. When we let God in and give Him all the broken pieces, He restores us; He makes us new and heals our wounds. If you can hang on to hope, hope always shines just enough light into the darkest parts of our lives, providing meaning as we wait to get through the difficulty.

So if you’re in a season of waiting dear one, please keep hoping, don’t rush the wait. Learn the lessons, trust God and remember that you are deeply loved, always and forever.  And if someone you love is in a season of waiting, love them, hold their hand, dry their tears and be there, be a friend.


Wishing you peace and wholeness always,


~ Ruthie

When my heart is overwhelmed, Lord lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
~ Psalm 61:2