Day 15 DV AWARENESS: Open your heart

One of the hardest things to do, after you've been heartbroken, is to open your heart again. You seriously want to seal it for the world for safe keeping. 

Why wouldn't you? The pain of heartbreak is excruciating. It can break you down, mentally, emotionally and physically. 

But, as the good book says, love covers a multitude of sins. That means exalting patience and kindness in your own life will begin to heal your heart. The funny thing about heartbreak is that it can turn us into cold, short-tempered, and mean beings all for the purpose of protecting our fragile hearts.

By giving in to those protective measures, we are working against ourselves. All of the pain we hold in our hearts, festers like an infection. Then we cover the infection with a bandaid of mean-spiritedness, isolation and/or fear...

We keep people at a distance and refuse to allow love in or out. The infection continues to grow and impacts whomever is closest to you. So now, you, the person in pain, becomes the person inflicting pain. 

That's how hurt people hurt other people. 

But love is a cure all. Remember, love doesn't keep a record of wrongs...yours or anyone else's. So love makes forgiveness more available to you. Your past cannot hang over your head forever when you practice love. Start by treating yourself right...then expand out. Forgive yourself for the good decisions that went wrong and the bad decisions that couldn't go right. Forgive yourself for holding onto the hurt. Then forgive those who brought pain to your life and let them go. 

Love can right those wrongs and mend your brokenness. The most healing love of all comes from God. He makes all other love possible. He also makes resilience possible.

You don't have to always be strong, but you can always be resilient. 

Allow your heart to open, so that the pain infection can be healed. Love can mend your broken pieces and restore you to a place of peace and hopefulness. You can find love again and replace your fear with faith. It is possible. It just takes work and willingness.