Sister Doreen’s Reflections
Psalm 34:18; “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 147:3 “God heals the heartbroken and bandages their wounds.”
Isaiah 43:2 “Don’t be afraid, I have loved you with an everlasting love, I’ve called you by name, you are mine”
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who labour and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart. Here you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Romans 8:18 “Indeed, I consider the sufferings of the present to be nothing compared with the glory that will revealed in us.”
I found myself wrapping up my own broken heart with these scripture passage knowing that God was close to me, that God would heal me, that I was surrounded by everlasting love, that God would give me rest, and that the best was yet to come. What was being held out to me was the gift of trust. As I pondered my heart on my journey through the wilderness years ago, I thought about the many things that break a heart open in life. In my own experience it is sometimes beauty, sometimes pain, sometimes the loss of someone we love, sometimes weariness at the day after day routine of life that never seems to change the burdens we carry, sometimes bitter disappointment and hurt, and often it is love. So many circumstances, that as we ponder and pray walk us through feelings of denial, anger, bargaining, depression or deep sadness and finally into acceptance, which is not forgetfulness. While I wanted some shortcuts, I also knew deep in my heart and soul that I was on a journey that did not have any shortcuts!
A few years ago, I read one of Joan Chittister’s meditations (September 2022) called Balm for a Broken Heart where she told a story: “the Tales of the Hasidism tell of a rabbi who promised the people that if they studied the Torah, it would put the Scripture on their hearts. One of them asked, “Why ‘on’ our hearts and not ‘in’ them?” the rabbi answered, “Only God can put Scriptures inside. But reading sacred text can put it on your heart, and then when the heart breaks, the holy words will fall inside.” I remembered this when thinking back upon my heart meditations from those long years ago, how I remembered scripture passages, working hard to see God in the things around me and the people I lived with or who crossed my path. It was a very important part of my journey years ago, and remains so today. It is what we put on our hearts that prepares us for life in all its dimensions. Henry Miller, an American writer in his “Books in My Life’ wrote: “In this age, which believes that there is a short cut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest.” Entering in and going through both the wonderful and the difficult in life is the only way we can understand our own life in all its hidden dimensions. As I walked in my desert journey long ago what held me and drew me onwards was that God is good, close, heals, loves and rests with me, and that God holds the present pain gently for me and with me.
One of the surprising discoveries on my own journey is that a broken heart is an open heart. God is close during these times, albeit not always felt or recognized. My own experience has always been that God is in the messes, the hard times as well as the good times. I began to ponder this during my heart meditations years ago, and today as I looked back, I see that indeed it is in the breaking, when broken open, all the truths about us are set free, they have the opportunity to come in and to go out. Things I never wanted others to see, things I didn’t want to see, as well as all the things that I did want others and myself to see. All these were free, open in a place where I could make friends with them and not hide from them. In fact, I discovered that God is closer and more vital in my messes than when I am in my good moments! I have seen that there are so many circumstances over the years that cause hearts to break. I have seen that going through these experiences reveal new ways of being, of thinking, and of loving. Over the years I have seen that each time we go through a period or season of the broken heart, that our hearts seem mysteriously to heal bigger than the time before. Every time we experience these times there is pain, immeasurable pain, and yet as we go through these times it seems that our hearts can expand and strengthen our capacity to love. It was the gift of coming to know myself and love myself, being able to open my heart to myself and to others. To hold the hand of shy hesitation and the hand of God and take the step!
As I was pondering these heart meditations today, I came across a quote by Elizabeth Lesser, an author and co-founder of Omega Institute, an education and retreat center focusing on health, wellness, spirituality. She wrote: “A broken heart is not the same as sadness. Sadness occurs when the heart is stone cold and lifeless. On the contrary, there is an unbelievable amount of vitality in a broken heart.” I think that is was this vitality that produced the openness that is so needed for a life of growing trust and hope.
The long journey, the exodus journey from slavery to freedom, goes through the toughest of times. Acknowledging that I have experienced broken heartedness, that I have struggled to love myself, all of myself, has opened the door to blessings, to exploring my own blind spots, to growing from the experience. On this journey I know that God is journeying with me. God is there, always there. It is in the hard times that this truth is something that is wrestled with repeatedly, as I fall down and as I get up again. Always I come to this psalm with trust: “God is near to the brokenhearted” and I know joy.
A hymn from the hymn book Gather – GIA Publications, Third edition, INC Chicago: #768:
When Jesus worked here on earth he preached in his hometown,
Isaiah’s hopes now fulfilled: those claims of great renown.
Refrain: To bring good news to the needy, to make the blind to see
The broken hearts healed again, to set the captive free.
The elders of the synagogue were shocked by Mary’s son.
That he was destined to be the Christ for everyone.
Refrain: To bring good news to the needy, to make the blind to see
The broken hearts healed again, to set the captive free.
The way he lived was proof of it: he quieted our strife.
The cross itself he would not flee e’en thought it cost his life.
Refrain: To bring good news to the needy, to make the blind to see
The broken hearts healed again, to set the captive free.
So, pass it on today, good friend: the message is the same.
Deliverance Christ alone can give, for this to earth he came.
Refrain: To bring good news to the needy, to make the blind to see
The broken hearts healed again, to set the captive free.
Picture taken from the internet article: Tiny Buddha Simple Wisdom for Complex Lives website.
