When You Feel Heavy Hearted

We are now finishing up the 8th week of shelter in place and our kids being sent home to complete school work through distance learning. Eight weeks sounds like such a long time, doesn’t it? Yesterday, it was announced that stay at home orders will remain in place until the end of May for many states. I’ll be honest, this isn’t the news I was hoping to hear. The optimist in me was hopeful that by the beginning of May life would be somewhat back to normal. Yet here we are.

Even though some businesses are starting to reopen in my state there is no denying there will be long term implications of this pandemic.

I’m not going to lie, all of this has left me feeling heavy hearted.

I feel heavy hearted for you who are working the front lines of healthcare every day.

Heavy hearted for teachers, friends, and students who have had to make drastic changes to the way you do your jobs.

I’m heavy hearted today for the class of 2020 who will not be experiencing all of the end of high school activities you were promised.

Today I’m heavy hearted for those of you ministering to us, who have faced many obstacles in bringing messages of hope and encouragement.

I’m heavy hearted for our missionary family who has had to leave the country to which they were called for the safety and health of themselves and others.

I feel heaviness for those of you who are out of work and struggling to make ends meet.

And today I’m heavy hearted for my own household and how this pandemic has taken its toll on us.

I could just leave it right here by expressing to you my sadness over our circumstance. I’m sure you would nod your head in agreement and most likely tell me you are feeling the same. We could agree that it’s an unfortunate situation and have a virtual toast to when times were better.

But something inside wells up within me today, reminding me that I have a hope so much greater than anything we are experiencing right now. My relationship with the creator of the universe tells me this is not all there is. So in my heaviness I am calling out to God. Today I am asking God to bring me comfort I know only he can give. And as I sit with God, I am so gently reminded of a few simple truths.

God knows us

He knows what we are feeling and he even knows our ways. Psalm 139:1-4 says, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.” He knew I was feeling weary before I even told him. He knows what you are feeling too.

He Will Never Leave Us

It’s amazing to know that God knows our thoughts and is with us wherever we go, but even more comforting to know that he will never leave us. He promises to go through life’s ups and downs with us. I love this promise in Deuteronomy 31:6,
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” God promised the Israelites that he would go with them and he goes with us too.

We can give him our burdens

We don’t have Hold on to these worries, we can give them to God. Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

He gives us strength to keep going

Not only does God know about our heavy hearts, and offer to take our burdens, he gives us strength to keep living the life set before us.

Isaiah 40:29-31 – “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

So even though right now it feels like this pandemic will never end, I now have a renewed heart and not a heavy heart. I know this is not a once and done experience either, as my heart will grow heavy once more. But I do know that when it does, I can turn to the God who knows me, goes with me, carries my burdens, and gives me strength. I pray you will turn to him too.