God breaks us to bless us. That statement doesn’t make sense unless we know the heart of God. The Lord is always at work, chipping away anything in us that doesn’t look like Jesus. Because of His great love for and promise to save and make us new, He sometimes has to break us to bless. You can read more about this by checking out my devotion, The Blessing of Brokeness, from Proverbs 31 Encouragement for Today.

While no one likes a brokenheart, we can’t avoid them. We live in a world where we’re easily devastated by people or outward forces. God promises to be near the brokenhearted. What encouragement. God is there. You are not alone. You have a great support in Christ. I’ve experienced this personally.

I was away speaking when the tornado struck the mid-south where my family and I live. My children were in “lock down” at school for hours.

My husband felt helpless as our daughter begged from her cell phone, “Come get me, daddy. Please, hurry!” He was desperately trying to retrieve both of our children, but debris from the raging winds blocked his every path. Two hours later, he finally reached the school and found it, along with our children, untouched by the tornado. Our house had been passed over as well. Others were not as fortunate.

As I drew nearer to home, I looked on in disbelieve as I weaved my way through the devastation. It felt as if my town had been ransacked by intruders. I felt cold and naked as I viewed the homes of friends and business that had been stripped bare.

Then, I saw the church. It once was a magnificent church standing tall and proud in our community. It was the symbol of all that was good and right. Now it was wounded and exposed; stripped of her beauty and glory. “Not the church, Lord.” I prayed. As destruction surrounded me, I looked to the heavens and questioned, “How will we survive this awful tragedy?”

Jesus promised that we would encounter trials and tribulation in this fallen world, but we need not despair. Why, because our hope is in God. Hope helps us see the God of restoration instead of becoming paralyzed by the mess of destruction.

We were not alone. Volunteers, workman, friends and neighbors, who put their hope in God, worked together to rebuild our city. It was a precious sight. It was the evidence of hope and the reflection of love.

Right now, you may be surrounded by trouble too, but you are not alone. You cannot be hedged in because you are not without help. You have a great support. God is your helper. You don’t have to be perplexed, uncertain, or concerned about your future. God has promised to deliver you. Even if you are being persecuted by your enemies, rejected or cast down, God says, “I will never leave you.” There’s no need to fight your fears. Put your trust in God and allow His power to work through your weakness. Oh, friend. There’s no need to despair for God is still on His throne working on your behalf.

Months later this truth became apparent as I drove by the church. The yard had been cleaned and the walls patched. It looked as if she had been lovingly dressed up in second-hand clothes. Still recovering from near destruction, her message had not changed. Draped in a large sign that covered the front of her structure, she declared to all, “HE’S STILL GOD!”

In this life, will we be pressed—yes, crushed—sometimes, perplexed—often, but never in despair. Because no matter what storm we face, no matter what kind of trouble presses in; and no matter who’s out to get us, the truth remains the same “He’s—Still—God!”

I’m praying for you today.

When I lost my spouse, people said strange things to me such as. “You’re young. You’ll marry again.” I know they meant well but their words brought no comfort. At the time, I wasn’t thinking of re-marrying. I wanted the marriage I already had.

We often say to the woman who lost her baby during pregnancy, “You can try again.” Yet, she longs for the child she’ll never hold. We mean well by offering a future perspective, but what she really needs is for us to meet her in her pain.

Here’s what we need to know about someone in pain.

1. The goal isn’t to make the person feel better. It’s to be there while she feels the worst.
2. Grief is a journey to be taken. Experienced. Unpacked. Allow her to go through the process that will bring ultimate healing. We can’t speed up the process. Each person will journey through grief at her own pace.

Here are some ways we can respond to grief?

1. Model Jesus. Jesus didn’t try and talk Mary and Martha out of their grief when Lazarus died. He didn’t offer a better perspective of the situation. No. He cried. The best thing we can do is cry with the her over her loss.
2. Instead of asking what she needs, look for signs. People in pain don’t know how to articulate their needs but they will lead you in ministering to them if you watch for what they need.

Many run from the heartache of others. Instead, we should step into their grief, listen, cry, and help remove distractions that might keep her from her journey from pain to peace.

Grief is a work. It’s often the difficult road we travel that leads us to our God-given destination.