MOVING BEYOND THE HEARTACHE
Heartache is something none of us escape in this life. Whether it comes through the passing of a loved one, a dream that crumbles, or the ache of relationships that didn’t go the way we hoped, they all leave marks. They shape us. They settle deep into the places where only God can reach. And sometimes, they make us feel like life has stopped in its tracks.
But Scripture tells us something tender and true: God heals the broken in heart, and He binds up their wounds.
This verse isn’t just a poetic gem. It’s a promise. It’s a glimpse into the very heart of God, who doesn’t ask us to ignore our pain or pretend it’s not there, but instead draws near to us in the midst of it. He comes close, like a skilled physician, tending gently to our broken places. He’s not afraid of our grief. He’s not in a rush for us to “move on.” But He is with us in the quiet, sacred invitation to move beyond.
Moving beyond heartache doesn’t mean forgetting.
It doesn’t mean we erase the memories or put away the love we still feel.
It also doesn’t mean we stop missing them, or even stop grieving.
Instead, it means we learn to live that valuable piece no longer there.
Not apart from the sorrow, but with it tucked into the story that is still being written. We carry our heartache, yes, but not without hope.
God invites us to honor both the absence and the life we still have. He doesn’t expect us to pretend everything is fine. But He gently lifts our head and says, “There’s more. I’m not done with your story yet.”
We honor God, and our loved ones, by finding joy in what remains.
Sometimes when we’re grieving, we feel guilty for smiling, for laughing, or for enjoying life again, as if it’s a betrayal of some sort. As if moving forward is somehow moving away.
But the truth is, when we choose joy, we’re not dishonoring them, we’re carrying them with us. We’re acknowledging the gift their life was and the impact it had on us. We’re living in a way that echoes their influence.
Think of it like this: when someone hands you a lit candle, the flame doesn’t go out when you pass it on. It grows and spreads. Their light doesn’t die when they’re gone, it shines through the way we live. And joy is one of the clearest ways to let that light live on.
Grief will still have its days. Tears will still come. But in the middle of the heartache, there is also laughter. There are memories that bring laughter. There are sunsets that take our breath away. There are small, God inspired moments when we are able to say; “they would’ve loved this.” Those are gifts, and receiving them is a form of healing.
We build our legacy on the foundation they once stood on.
Loss can feel like the ground has shifted underneath us. Like we’ve been uprooted. But sometimes, the very people we feel like we lost, has actually left behind a foundation strong enough to stand on.
Maybe it was their faith. Maybe it was their wisdom. Maybe it was their kindness or humor or resilience. Whatever it was, we get to pick up where they left off. We get to keep building. Keep growing. Keep loving.
We don’t have to start from scratch. We can let their influence shape the choices we make, the way we treat people, the legacy we’re writing with our own lives. When we carry their lessons forward, we turn loss into a legacy.
We pass on to others what was once passed to us.
Grief has a strange way of effecting us. It makes us more aware of time. More compassionate. More willing to say what matters, to love out loud, to forgive quickly, to hold people close. These are not small things, these are eternal things. And every time we choose to live like that, we’re not just surviving our sorrow, we’re redeeming it.
You might not feel strong right now. That’s okay. You don’t have to have it all together. Healing isn’t instant. Some days feel like progress and some days don’t. But every day just remember that God is near. He is bringing hope into the places where you feel undone. And one day, you’ll look back and realize: you didn’t just make it, you grew through the process.
So, let life continue. Let joy find you, even if it’s in small ways at first. Let yourself smile without guilt. Let the memories carry you, not crush you. Let the love you received become the love you give and let the foundation they laid become the platform from which you launch into something beautiful.
Because moving beyond the heartache doesn’t mean forgetting. It means remembering in a way that continues to live.
Because the reality is that you still have one precious life to live.
