God Restores Our Hearts with Hope

At the beginning of my grief journey, it was difficult for me to accept life without my mother because I couldn't imagine life without her. I wanted my broken heart restored as if it was a part of a home improvement project, restoring an object to its original condition. I felt hopeless because life would never be the same.

"Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.” - St. Augustine, a theologian and philosopher

We define hope as a belief in action. It's a feeling of trust we have that God is our beacon of light on days that seem bleak and desolate by the pain of grief.

As I acknowledged that life will never be the same, I slowly let go of the expectations of restoring my heart to its original condition. My heart won't be the same as my mother's death has changed my life forever. However, I'm comforted by God's promise to exchange our sorrow for joy and peace by filling us with hope. (Romans 15:13, NIV)

Life won't be the same after you have experienced grief, but should it be? After an experience with grief, we learn to live each day with purpose and intention, not taking our loved ones for granted, and relying on unshakable faith. As God is and will continue to be in the restoration business of rebuilding our hearts anew. He restores our grief-stricken hearts with hope, which makes them better than they were, to begin with. Our once-wounded hearts will eventually heal, and a scar will form as proof we can heal from the grief that has changed our lives forever.

Moments of Reflection

Reflect on God's promise to fill your grieving heart with hope, joy, and peace. How does God's reassurance change your perspective on how you move forward in grief?