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Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Part 2 ~He Heals Our Brokenhearts~

As I lay awake in bed last night thinking about your responses and personal email, I felt that we were not done with this subject.

I told you the story of ONE of the times that God healed my heart. There have been so many situations that I needed healing in my heart. Some were like the one I described and others were “a walk” of healing.

I love it when you sense that God has just done a healing work in your heart, but not all healing happens that way.

I kind of picture some of our pain like a spider web. Our heart can be broken by an event or events and the effects can get into all different relationships and situations that we don’t even realize at the onset. Then as we walk through this life, different seasons reveal the need for healing in other ways. I hope this makes sense, I feel like I’m talking in circles!

Let me tell you about another time when my heart was broken (like a spider web). When I was a young girl around 8 years old, I was sexually abused by a friend of the family for over a year of my life. This has affected so much of my life. I have forgiven the man and God has healed my heart, but that does not mean that it is over and done.

There are still times that fears and pain will come up that I can trace back to this event. When I see it affecting my relationships, I have to address the root of the issue and go to God with it.

When I was a teenager, I heard a speaker at church talking about God healing people who had been molested. He talked about forgiveness being part of the process of healing. I really broke down that night. I prayed for God to heal me and prayed for the man who had abused me all those times.

I felt God’s love and I felt protected.

I know that God has healed me because if I saw that man today, I would share God’s love with him. I could tell him that I forgive him. Not because he deserves it, but because I need that same forgiveness from God that I don’t deserve.

I could let my heart be bitter towards him and wait until he begs on his hands and knees for me to forgive him, but that would only hurt me.

Matt 6:14-15
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
NIV


I won’t let satan continue the abuse in me by holding on to unforgiveness. To keep bitterness in me is to continue being a victim. I don’t want to be a victim ever again.

God healed my heart, and the “sting” of the pain is gone. But, I still remember what happened, I still struggle with trust and security.

Thankfully though I now have a relationship with my Heavenly Father that is completely secure and I know that He will never stop loving me.

Your emails have blessed me so much. When I read what some of you have been through I cried. Partly because of your pain, but mostly because I see the mighty hand of our incredible God in the words you speak now and the things that He has revealed to you through it all!

The truth of the matter is that life can break your heart. But GOD. He can bind us up and bring healing. He makes beauty out of life’s mud.

Bring your pain and sorrow to Him. Let Him hold you close and heal you.

Psalms 40:2-3
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
He set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.
NIV


Thank you for giving me the honor of sharing your hearts with me!
Love,
Sue
(to be continued....?)

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow. You are truely an example of how God can change hearts. I am at a loss for words. I cried (imagine that), but more than that I am feeling like I too am being drawn to share my own personal things. The things that God can use use to help others but satan tries to use to shame us and keep us quiet. Thank You for sharing.

Roo said...

hello my friend. i am gonna send you a little email that talks abit of my personnal story. i wrote it for my mom in honor of mothers day. love to you....

Praise and Coffee said...

Hey Jill,
I refused to share my story for a long time. I still don't care to much, but I listen when God prompts me.
Sounds like God is totally stretching you girl!

Anonymous said...

Thank You Sue for sharing with us. You are such an encouragement for so many women. God is truely using you for His glory!! Your posting today made me think of a part in this book I am currently reading where it says "whoever controls the mind controls the battle". Satan has no influence over us as long as we are operating with the mind of Christ. We have to take every thought captive to Him. This is when the fortress comes down, and he starts his work on our hearts! Psalm 143:3 He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds. Thank You Lord that you do this for us. Praise His name!!!

Chris @ Come to the Table said...

Sue,
Today I am sure you have ministered to many! I am going to pray that God will use the path you have walked (although extremely difficult) to bring hope and healing to others. This is what Jesus does. He takes the garbage that others try and lay in our front lawns and turns into a beautiful rose garden. (this was from our ladies bible study this morning so it is fresh in my heart and mind)
I have not walked this particular path, but I know there are so so many women that have. Yet, Jesus is our Hope!

Cathy Fry said...

Sue,

Yes, God does heal the brokenhearted, you have an icredible testimony to share with so many hurting people today,thank you for sharing and letting God shine through your story.

Thanks for stopping by my site, come by again some time.

Cathy

Holly said...

It's an honor to hear your heart...sweet Heart that you have!

I have walked through the pain of having my parents disown me because we moved away. It sounds silly, I know, but when others think they have you in their control (they did) and you move out from under it (we did), it makes them very angry. We have lived here almost two years and our relationship is almost completely severed. The pain of it, though, God has been carrying, while I walk in TRUST that He will heal it someday! It may just be all about their salvation.

Maybe, too, your story will be someone's salvation. Share it and ask God to set captives free...giving you more and more "counts" on him.

Praying for you!
Your friend,
Holly

Anonymous said...

Sue, you rock. I so admire your openness. I wish everyone would be willing to share so deeply... God would receive so much glory! I'm so glad that you don't feel shamed into not sharing...I had that for so long. I have lots of things in my past that I'm not proud of, and for SO long satan held that over my head, as if saying "if only they knew who you REALLY were..." But now I share what ever anyone wants to know. I have been forgiven, and Halellujah my past is gone!

Keep up the awesome posts...
love you
P.S. Jill, SHARE!! And give God the glory!

Rhonda said...

That is an amazing story Sue. Thank you for sharing. Releasing forgiveness and receiving wholeness is something so many people need to understand. Once we are released from something, then we are able to walk along side someone else and help them.

Bless you Sue!

Rhonda said...

Me again. God keeps giving me the word TESTIFY. Thought this might correspond with where you are at.

Bless you.

Jill V. said...

Rhonda- I can tell you that that word definately speaks to me. Loudly. I am sure that I am not the only one here though. Thanks:-)

Praise and Coffee said...

I'm just praying for direction ladies! Thank you so much.
It is such a blessing to me that you care!

Anonymous said...

sue, just thinking about your words. isn't it so true, we can choose NOT to be victims. satan sets out to confirm our false identities in ANY way that he can. and yet, we are EMPOWERED by Christ to live freely.

i understand your words, and i know that a lot of us probably wish that we didn't. maybe all different stories, but there is a common thread in all of them - the ability to be healed by hands of absolute tenderness, the ability to forgive as Christ Jesus covers US in forgiveness. when we experience wounds so deep, we are in a rare position - having an ability to actually exercise forgiveness to a degree that most people will never need to. and when we have an opportunity to exercise our WILL and choose to forgive, we then are able to understand the priceless value of the forgiveness we find IN him.

there are deep wells in our hearts, and he pours living water all the way down to the deepest, darkest, most parched places.

Praise and Coffee said...

Erin, your heart and insight are just amazing to me.
God has a mighty call on your life girl!

Thank you for sharing with us.

Susan said...

Sue, I wanted you to know that God keeps drawing me back to your two Brokenhearts posts and this morning I feel compelled to print them out and use them during my quiet time. Not sure what He has in mind. I have to say I'm a bit apprehensive! I'll let you know how it all turns out. Thank you for having the courage to be so open and honest, not only with Him, but with us. Hugs...

redmaryjanes said...

I am all teared up here. I am so glad that you have let this out and allowed God to help you let it go. So often we hide all of our painful experiences and they eat us up inside. A good friend of mine told me that "if you speak it, it no longer owns you". You are an amazing woman. I am so glad to have crossed your path. I look forward to keeping in touch.

Kathy G. said...

Hi Sue!
It's so true that you have to bring what's in the darkness into God's glorious light. Whatever we hide is what Satan dines on, cuz he can only operate in the darkness. (The secrets we keep hidden deep within our hearts-or a secret sin behind closed doors-as if we can hide anything from God!) We must live in God's light-which is living in His truths!(being honest with ourselves, and others, & confess our sins). This has been my pathway to healing...another thing that I keep feeling going through my spirit right now is a comment in Beth Moores Praying God's Word book that says "He that is unconvinced of God's unfailing love is unconvinced he is more than a conquoror!" A-men... His perfect love casts our all our fears-when we truely choose to BELIEVE-and conquors ALL!!!!! Get rooted firmly & securely in His love today! Love, Kathy G.

Praise and Coffee said...

Amen Kath, preach it girl!

Jen said...

Sue...
Your words are straight from my own heart.
I have, as I am sure a number of your readers have, walked a similar path.
I used to struggle with wondering why there was still pain when I was sure I had forgiven.
I was taught forgive and forget...I teach forgive...though you may never forget.
I rejoice that God has instilled so deeply into the fibre of who I am..."forgiveness and release are nonnegotiables".
The pain can overwhelm...but even that is His to bear.
God is such a great and complete healer.
He truly does make something beautiful out of our lives....that is why my blog is "Beauty from Ashes for Him".
He takes what the enemy tries to destroy us with, and makes something beautiful...not because of anything we did or even deserve...but for HIS glory!
This is what our restoration looks like!
He is SOOO GOOD!!!

Bless You...and your message of healing for the broken hearted...may it yield high return for HIM!!!!

Sunni at The Flying Mum said...

Wow, I love that verse in Psalms...such grace! Thank you for sharing!

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