Hope and Comfort for the Brokenhearted

Hopelessness is powerful feeling that must not be underestimated. One who has lost hope walks through this world without the reassurance that something better is just around the corner. They can't see the silver linings around murky clouds or rainbows poking through leafless trees. They see only the dark and gloomy sky sprinkling pain on broken dreams.

I had lunch with a work acquaintance yesterday who appears to have lost hope. I saw dangerous shadows in her eye that were all too familiar. I knew that had we been outside a work environment she would have shed tears. She has endured health problems, heartbreak and loss that I personally can't comprehend. In these moments of acute suffering there is nothing I can say that will salve such wounds. So I listened and tried to show how much I care.

I read a blog yesterday by Russell Brand. He's not someone I particularly admire or respect but I identified with what he wrote about addiction. He wrote about how he longed for the days he was curled up around the heroin that numbed his pain. He articulated how every day he was sober was a struggle. He went on to say each moment was only one moment away from relapse. He never used the word hope, but I believe hope is what keeps him from relapsing. I believe hope is the glue that binds all our broken pieces together and enables us to climb out of bed in the morning. It is one reason, maybe the main reason, I love Jesus. My hope in Him keeps me sane.

I lost my beloved dog, Hodges, last week and it was very painful. I am adjusting to the house without his constant clamor but it feels like an amputation of the spirit. He is gone but I remember, often acutely, how great a presence he was in our lives. He no longer tries to cuddle me while I attempt crunches. He no longer follows me from room to room. I feel guilty for scolding him for tripping me all the time. I remember when he was younger and bounced like Tigger(from Winnie the Pooh fame) and wrapped his whole body around me out of sheer bliss at my presence. I have yet to meet a human who loved me so unconditionally. The void he leaves is like a gaping wound. We miss him. And we will never see him again on this earth. That knowledge is extremely painful. His loss leads me to wonder how I will manage the death of my parents or, God forbid, one of my children.

It's easy to say, "Focus on the happy memories" when life is sunny and bright. Suffering taints our hearts like a slow poison. If we don't find the antidote, we are lost and floundering in a world that doesn't care how much we hurt. My antidote is Jesus. The hope I glean from my Bible comforts me when all else fails. Yes, faithful friends comfort with their kind hearts and gentle souls, but my best friend is the greatest comforter of all. I know some of you think me strange. I am strange. To be in love with an invisible God is kind of like living in a science fiction movie. But He is more real to me than the nose on my face, than the hair on my chinny, chin chin, than the pain that blossoms in my often wounded heart. For I am a sensitive soul who wishes my heart had a few more calluses.

Today if you are sad and floundering in pain, if you can't find your way out of the darkness, if life's harsh realities are squeezing your guts, don't lose hope. Reach out to your friends or family, to your beloved pet(who loves with reckless abandon). Then pull yourself up by the bootstraps and move forward. And when all else fails, call out to Jesus. The Bible says He is the great comforter and I have found it to be true.