EMBRACING HIM in the MIDST of HURT & HEARTACHE 3-2

AUGUST

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EMBRACED

... Knowing God is Holding Me (You) Close

2019

Part 3: 

EMBRACING

Him 

in the Midst of Hurt & Heartache

Devotions #49-75 

(This past week's #58-65 are in this post)

August 10th - 19th, 2019

{I post these ahead and try to link the ones I can so you can read along with me,

then I come back afterwards and add.} Boxed quotes are highlights written by Lysa TerKeurst from each devotion.

58. "The Sting of Disappointment" Habakkuk 3:17-19

The one linked has a different title but pretty much the same.
Although this isn't the same, it's close and good

"Holding on Through Heartbreak"

Proverbs 31 had quite a few good ones on disappointment.

"I'd rather rejoice in what is and what will be than wallow in what isn't."

{Really great advice for me!}

59. "Why Would God Let This Happen?" Isaiah 54:10

"We must process our hurts through the filter of God's love, not through the tangled places of our hearts."

{oh, yes ... yes, Lord, thank You!}

60. "What Makes Rejection So Awful?" John 12:46

"Just because I've been hurt doesn't mean I now have to live hurt."

{I so agree with "rejection is awful" and receive her words, now to live them.}

61. "If You Ever Feel Lonely, Read This"Psalm 25:16-17

"There is something wonderfully sacred that happens when a girl chooses to  look past being set aside to see God's call for her to be set apart."

{Amen!!!}

62. "The Girl Called Loser" Hebrews 3:1

"No amount of outward success can give you inward acceptance."

{Although I don't recall any story like Lysa's of being called a 'loser', I'm sure I felt like one often but overcompensated frequently and struggled with being such a people pleaser, and in my early life, I was quite a confident, little person until ... then I remember have that stripped away from me.}

63. "Yesterday's Hurts in Today's Relationships" James 1:19

{the one linked is the same, just different title}

"Rejection always wants to steal the best of who I am by reinforcing the worst of what's been said to me."

{Oh my, although this quote is for this devotion, it certainly fits with #60 as well, these words ring loudly with truth and power and I can't even begin to write about how "yesterday's hurts" infiltrate and impact "today's relationships, or in my case, have destroyed so much in one relationship, changed significantly others. Without a doubt, it has stolen the best of who I am and was, especially in that one relationship, and worst is reinforced causing the worst being said to me and about me to others. Deep rejection. However, I know One who does accept me and so thankful that He loves me so much as I cling to who He says I am in Him.} *Insert my favorite song by Lauren Daigle here.

64. "There's A Lady at the Gym who Hates Me" Zephaniah 3:17 ESV

"Live from the abundant place where you are loved and you won't find yourself begging others for scraps of love."

{such wisdom in these words for my younger self and even now}
 Saturday

65. "Because I am Loved" Philippians 2:3-4

"Are you doing this because you are so loved or so that you'll be loved?"

{Once again, good self-check question with wisdom about one's motivation.}

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After looking at "grief and loss" momentarily this week while EMBRACING HIM in the midst of hurt and heartache ... I decided to wait and put this Part 3 on pause* temporarily!

Meanwhile over at You Version, I will pick up another plan for EMBRACING ... with "Jesus Always" ... Embracing Joy in His Presence, much better than hurt and heartache. A heart can only hold so much of hurt and ache at one time so the remedy is to change course with Jesus, add some uplifting and encouraging word then I promise I will return to the rest of Part 3 of EMBRACED because Lysa TerKeurst's devotions do this too by ending with prayer, which of course, makes these a bit more positive then the 'rabbit hole' of my own thoughts, emotions or writings, even through some tears. Tears are good, refreshing and cleansing. Most definitely, EMBRACING HIM is the key ... 

Also, because I plan on redoing "It's Not Suppose to be this way" with Lysa and FaithGateway, starting on August 19th - September 29th (however, I noticed that FaithGateway posted yesterday "The Birthplace of Disappointment" and Session 1, a bit early, perhaps to wet our appetites ... ) which definitely fits in with this Part 3, #58 so, on second thought, I will go ahead with this week's reading of these devotions but add a little JOY in His Presence too, with Jesus Always over at You Version.

Then I will go on a break from "hurt and heartache" ... yes, I realize that avoiding or running from these won't bring the healing needed, but there was some reason that God allowed me to find  Jesus Always:  EMBRACING JOY at this time, it's not because it's a new book to sample nor a divergence, perhaps it's a new One Word for me (hmmmm) . Really, It's NOT Suppose to Be This Way"! not for any of us ... however EMBRACING and being EMBRACED is ... 

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After reading all these devotions this past week, so well-witten by Lysa with personal stories from her, I really could not pin point one to share from my own life, although they all seem to apply and connect with me, I don't have one similar story. I most certainly have felt "the sting of disappointment" and rejection, maybe even a bit of lonliness (but how can I be lonely with all the critters that surround me). I'm also sure I have wondered frequently "why God allows...?" whatever but I don't think I've dared utter those words to Him aloud because I know I am loved by God no matter what I've faced or will face. I inserted a brief comment after the devotional quotes above. From the looks of it, although I chose not to write on any, or a bit on all of them, #63 seems to have come the closest for me that must have hit an inner chord the most, with #64 the least, mostly because I don't go to the gym (lol) and #62 as I already commented. Truthfully, I guess, my mind really wasn't on these as I read somewhat mechanically, thinking of two dear sisters: one with her husband facing such medical difficulties and the other, no longer this side of eternity, like another dear sister. (sigh) So it's these heart aches that remind me of others and others' hurts or losses that bring me to that melancholic place and to my knees ... EMBRACING HIM in the midst ... for all He's worth, and all I'm not, yet because of Him, I live, so I reflect, perhaps grieve some or try to search for an outside distraction instead of an inward work, where healing must begin, for me, for others, for them ... and for so many in this world. I just shake my head and really wonder, "how long, O Lord? how long?" I reach for that EMBRACE and find that I'm not able. But, remind myself ... HE IS!!!God loves us and He will not leave us.

*and with this, I will pause 
[reposting August 17th]
TODAY

EMBRACING GRIEF ...

EMBRACING Him in the Midst of Hurt & Heartache

#55 "Dealing with Deep Grief"

Psalm 34:18
I have read quite alot on the topic of 'grief' and recently on 'lament'. I've even shared on this blog about some of mine and a GriefShare Study I did "Help for the Journey". Yet I'd be the first to tell you that I don't deal well with grief, and deep grief would be even worse for me. I believe God knows this about me because often He arranges things to prepare me or help with dealing with grief in advance, but since I don't deal with normal grief, He certainly knows deep grief is beyond my coping mechanisms, just not His. Although both of my parents, all our aunts and uncles, some cousins and friends, our youngest brother, and many more, have left this earthly home for another, I am not just speaking of grief/loss by the death of someone, but other losses that I have faced in my life journey.
All this is to let you know, I'm the least likely to help anyone or write about grief. Experience, in this case, does not qualify you, it only allows you to understand on some levels the grief others go through and sympathize. I hardly know what to write or say to someone in deep grief, as some of my dearest friends have experienced but I hope in some way, I was there for them to listen and perhaps comfort in some small way. Being an encourager, usually, you'd think I'd have this down by now. {Not} 
So, even though, this blog title is "Embracing Grief" or loss, as I first had written ... I don't believe I have a grip yet, nor am I ready to "embrace grief or any loss" but I do think I'm learning and getting better. It's just that in no way can I share any valuable personal stuff to help you go on and move forward through the stages of grief, like Lysa TerKeurst does or what I'm about to share from Pastor Rick Warren's 'Daily Hope' email, which arrived this past week, a couple of days ahead of this devotion (again, this is God and how He prepares me). I may have to delete this because of sharing his devotion, that is probably copyrighted, but I'm only trying to offer this to help you and myself with embracing grief ... however, even if we can't, we can rest and find comfort in God's Word and through the Holy Spirit, know that we are EMBRACED by God as we face our grief, lament and deal better with whatever loss we face.

In a Season of Loss, Release Your Grief BY RICK WARREN — AUGUST 5, 2019 “Pour out your heart to Him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8 NLT). "Tragedy always produces strong emotions—anger, fear, depression, worry, and sometimes guilt. These feelings can scare us, and we often don’t know what to do with them. When we have experienced a major loss, these enormous feelings bubble up within us. If we don’t deal with them now, it will take us far longer to recover. Some people never directly deal with grief in life. They stuff it. They push it down. They pretend it’s not there. They act like it doesn’t exist. And that’s why they’re still struggling with emotional stress from losses that occurred 20 or 30 years earlier. There’s a myth that says God wants you to walk around with a smile on your face all the time saying, “Praise the Lord!” The Bible doesn’t say that anywhere. In fact, Jesus taught the exact opposite. In Matthew 5:4, he says, “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (NLT). It’s okay to grieve. When people are Christians, we know they will go on to heaven when they die, so we need not grieve like the world. Our grief after a loss can be different. We grieve because we’re going to miss them, but we can also be at peace because we know they are with God. What do you do with your feelings? You don’t repress them or stuff them deep inside you. You release them—you give them to God. You cry out, “God, I’m hurt! I’m grieving! This is a tough one to take.” If you want a good example of this, read through the book of Psalms, where many times David spills his guts and says, “God, I’m in a tough time right now. I am really, really hurting.” You cry out to God, just like David did. If you are going through a loss right now, please understand that if you don’t release your grief, it will pour out eventually. Feelings that are pushed down fester, and eventually they explode in a much worse situation. Release your grief first so that God can begin to heal your heart." Rick Warren

As Rick Warren has said so well, "in a season of loss, release your grief". Allow God to begin to heal us and our hearts by EMBRACING God even closer and voicing our hurts and heart aches, He can take it, He's listening, He'll bring peace, comfort and bind up those wounds. He knows what it's like. He weeps with us, especially in the wake of all the senseless tragedies happening. 
I think that this 'hurt and heartache' is one that needs more healing or continual healing and I'm so thankful that I know "The Healer" and that He knows me. He is, and has been healing me as I remember each loss, fondly the loved ones, and letting go of the other ones as I deal and face them daily along with God's healing touch.