Heart Break - Taking it to God?

So many things in life have the potential to break our hearts. Things that happen to us, to those close to us, and even to people we have never met but only heard their heart-wrenching stories. What do we do with that pain?

The cliche answer I know is, "Take it to God." That's a great answer, but how do you really do it? What is it to really bring brokenness and pain to the Lord? And what happens to it when you do? Once you have "gone to the Lord" is the hurt supposed to go away?

I can't really answer all of these questions. But I know in the depths of my heart that God hurts with us. In Psalm 56 it is recorded that the Lord has each of our sorrows written down and that He has collected our tears.

I have by no means perfected the art of grief. In fact, in many ways I feel like I haven't even touched the surface of knowing how to grieve.

There are plenty things in my life to grieve, I just haven't learned how. I haven't learned how to really trust God with the broken places in my heart. Especially those when I question, "Where were you, God?"

Were you there when I got sick? Were you there when my dear friend lost another baby? Were you there when someone special passed away?

Yes! God was there! And I don't know how to communicate it, but I also know that God has grieved with me and for me in those times when my heart hurts so badly that I can hardly catch my breath! It is a mystery that I don't understand. Something that is without formula. But somehow, there is a place of entering into the presence of God and in that place - that sacred, Holy place - the Lord shares in the pain, sadness, and overwhelming heart-ache.