Healing Your Heart

I have come that they may have life, and that they have it more abundantly.  (John 10:10b)

Has God ever surprised you by doing something for you that you didn’t even realize you needed? 

In a previous post I mentioned the fact that there was a fire on the north side of the city where I live in which over 500 homes we destroyed.  And that we had a fire last year a fire destroyed almost 400 homes.  They are still picking up the pieces from this year’s fire, getting things cleaned up, repairing what can be fixed, figuring out the best way to go about rebuilding what was lost.  The area affected by the fire last year is on the road to recovery, homes being rebuilt, grasses and such growing, people’s lives returning to normal.

I remember how I felt both last year and again this year while the fires were burning.  It is a different feeling when a disaster happens where you live as opposed to something you see or hear on the news.  It affects the whole community, whether you are directly affected or not. 

 

Every year in August the local Home Builders Association sponsors what is called the Parade of Homes.  The Parade consists of about 35 homes ranging from smaller track homes through larger custom built homes.  You can tour through these homes; see some of the latest in construction styles, decorating, etc.

A few of the homes in the Parade this year had been destroyed in last year’s fire and have since been rebuilt.  While looking at these homes the last thing I expected was an encounter with God.

 

Jesus told us that He came to give us abundant life.  Abundance means to be overly plentiful or overflowing and since God is good, this abundance can’t be anything other than good.  If we need something, God wants to provide. If we are hurting, God wants to help heal us.  Even if we don’t even realize we need anything, God knows and will provide what we need.

David tells us about God answering prayers for healing in Psalm 30:2, “O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.”  Along with many others I have been praying for those affected by both of the fires.  Prayers for strength, healing, and restoration.  Little did I know I was also praying for myself.  I had not realized there was a small part of my heart that needed healing, but God knew.  

 

Emotions were high on the opening day when I toured the homes that had been destroyed last year.  A couple had small displays of things that were recovered from the ashes of the previous home, in another they were showing a video with images of before and after the fire and during the rebuilding of the house.  As I toured the houses I felt a heaviness in my heart being lifted.  Even with the heaviness lifting I didn’t realize what had happened until I started thinking about over the next couple days. 

Isn’t God amazing?  You never know exactly when or how He is going to do something and sometimes He catches you by surprise and meets you where you least expect it.  I have looked back to when this happened a few weeks ago and can’t help but feel the wonder as I contemplate a God who loves me so much He wants to meet me where I am and help make me whole. Not only does he want to make me whole, He does it with style!

 

Open yourself to receive what God wants to give you.  Let Him step in and fill the voids, to heal the hurts and the pain.  Even the things that are buried deep and you want to forget.  God wants to make you whole and give you an amazing life.  You won’t know how or when He will respond but from time to time He will show up where you least expect it and say, “Watch this!  This is just for you!”