Sunday, July 27, 2014

Aching Heart

I contemplated not writing this blog post.  It would be easy to never press publish, but that would defeat one of the purposes that I have for this blog: to let you see how I'm growing in Jesus and who I am in him.  It's a place for me to be completely honest.

Sometimes that's easier said then done.

Okay, so here it is:

Right now, at this stage in my life, I have a love/hate relationship with wedding showers, weddings, and baby showers.

Don't get me wrong.  If you are getting married or having a baby and I know you and love you, I am genuinely excited and happy for you.

But it still makes my heart ache a bit.

Ever since I was little, I've wanted to be married a man who loves Jesus, me, and his family.  I've wanted kids running around my house.

And, as I sit here, listening to the thunderstorms outside, I still don't have that.

I want you to understand something: I LOVE my life.  I love my job. I love my family and friends.  I love the stage I'm living.

But sometimes my heart still aches.

And as my Facebook feed fills up with engagements, weddings, and baby bumps, it's been aching a little more than normal lately.

It's not that I'm not happy for you.  Actually, I'm ecstatic! I will be the one crying tears of joy as you walk down the aisle because I am so happy to see God's blessings in your life.  I will be one of the first people in line to hold and cuddle your newborn after telling you how precious he/she is.  I will be the one rejoicing over how good God is with you as we celebrate his blessings.

And then, when I take a step back, my heart will start to ache a little bit.

The reason my heart will start to ache is because God has planted desires in my heart for marriage and a family... but his timing isn't quite yet.

It's taken me some time, but I've finally figured out what to do with my aching heart.  I used to just throw a full blown pity party for myself for a few days... moping around, asking God why it wasn't my turn yet.

But, just in the past couple of weeks, I realized I've been doing something different lately.  In all honesty, I'm not sure how long I've been doing it but the realization came just this weekend.

When my heart is aching, I run to Jesus.

I don't run to him asking when it's going to be my turn and moping about.

I run to him so he can remind me of his promises.  Soothe my heart.  Speak truth into my life.  Fill me with himself.  And make me more like him.

Instead of praying and asking God for a husband right here and now with little concern about whether or not I'm even ready to be married, I search the Bible waiting for God to speak to my heart.

And he does.  It never fails that time with Jesus is what I need.

Time to remember that Jesus is really the only one who can fill me.  Who can complete me.  Who can fulfill my desire to be loved unconditionally.

Because even once I'm married, that's not going to change.  Jesus is still going to be the only one who can do that.  He's still going to be the only one who can hold and heal my aching heart.

There are days when it's difficult to not mope.  There are days when I still mope.  But I'm slowly starting to recognize that the ache in my heart that I've hated for so long because it reminds me of what I don't physically have yet, is really a reminder to run to Jesus.  It's really a Holy Spirit prompting to spend time reminding myself of who God is.

I'm not perfect.  I don't have this all figured out.  It's taken me 25 years to figure out that the ache in my heart is an opportunity to pursue Jesus.  And I know I'll have days when I'll forget that that's what the ache means.  But today I remembered.  Today I ran to Jesus and my heart is again at peace.  It is again content.

Because I know Jesus' love for me.

Did I cry a bit as I wrote this? Yep.  Because those 10 year old dreams of the marriage and kids, not the wedding day, are still there.  But there's hope.  Because my God is a good God.  He doesn't plant desires in my heart just sit back and laugh as they go unfulfilled.  He has a plan.  He loves me.  And He is good.

So please, don't stop inviting me to your wedding showers, weddings, and baby showers.  Don't stop posting your engagement ring pictures, wedding pictures and baby bump pictures on Facebook.  And please, don't think I'm not happy for you.  Because I am.  So happy.

God's just still working on me: teaching me to run to him in everything.

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." 
Ephesians 3:14-20 

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