I was talking to a young woman, a friend of mine, someone I love dearly, on the phone the other night. She was telling me about her husband and how the behaviors he is exhibiting are so counter to who she knows and who everyone else knows that he is. This is not the man she married! We talked for some time, wondering what it was that changes someone from a loving, caring husband and father, to one who walks away, abandoning not only his family but all that he once held dear. What does it take to make someone turn his back on every important relationship in his life? What causes a heart to change so?
I wish I knew the answers. This same scenario is played out every minute, probably every second in our country. A heart that is once loving and full of compassion and empathy and concern, a heart that longs to nurture and protect, a heart that overflows with love suddenly stops. No, it doesn't stop beating, it just stops loving! And each and every person that once had a place in this heart, now feels lost, like they have no place at all. And every heart that loved this one, although they still love, those feelings of love have partnered up with and entangled with feelings of hurt and anger and betrayal and fear. Each and every relationship is battered and bruised and left for dead. As the relationship fights against the impending death, the heart fights for the life of the relationship, torn between the desire to love and the desire and need for closure. And hope . . . well hope seems to be but a small, smoldering ash left to slowly burn out, gasping for the air to sustain it.
My heart hurts as I too, search for words of hope, words of encouragement. I struggle to rid my mind of anger and doubt and pray to be merciful and kind, pray to keep no record of wrong, to hope, to believe, to endure. I pray to be strong and to help those who are hurting be strong also. I speak with my friend frequently and while I try to encourage her, she always ends up encouraging me. We both believe God's word and hang our hearts on His love. As we cling to our Father, we find solace in the truth that He sees, He knows and He cares and that He, and only He, can restore life, can rebuild relationships, can make the heart beat strong and even again. He can rekindle the fire, even after there is no more flickering ash. After all------He is God!
Blessings
Neva
