C. S. Lewis wrote in the Four Loves, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” But truly is love worth the heartbreak? Ask that of a widow standing beside her beloved’s grave. Or ask that of a mother whose child died in her arms like the Shunammite woman.
The child that God gave her, the one Elisha told her would be hers suddenly was brought to her from the fields with a severe headache. Was it a heat stroke? Or did a blood vessel burst in his head? We do not know. What we are told is that he died in her arms. She had not asked God for a child or perhaps she had already made peace with God regarding her barrenness. We heard her plea not to play with her heart in 2 Kings 4:16 and again she reminds him of this verse 28. But now she had known the love of child. She had cherished him and felt the joys of motherhood only to now feel the pain, the heartbreak of loss. She ran to Elisha to hear from God concerning her heartbreak.
One Response to Heartbreak
The Shunammite woman held her dying, pain ridden child in her arms until he had died. Then she carried him up to the room she reserved for Elisha and laid him on Elisha’s bed. After this she sent word to her husband that she needed a driver and a chariot to go see Elisha. When he asked her what was wrong, she only said, “It shall be well” (2 Kings 4:23). Whatever the outcome, God has a plan for good; but I need to hear from him. All along the journey, she told no one of her son’s death. Her only response when asked if all was well with her husband and child was “It is well.” Regardless of God’s answer, she believed that, “It is well.” Her heartbreak did not alter her deep-seated faith, that in God’s great Sovereignty, whatever may come, “All is well.”
Much like the song written by Horatio Spafford when his heartbreak was overwhelming, having lost all his children-his son to scarlet fever and his daughters to drowning, she cried out of her heartbreak “it is well with my soul”. This is true when “peace like a river attendeth my soul” the same as it is true when “sorrows like sea billows roll” because God had taught her heart to know, “It is well, it is well with my soul”. Something perhaps she had learned over the years of her barrenness. Oh, but the heartbreak was still overwhelming. She did not want to leave God’s side. Instead, she wanted to remain near to Elisha (God’s representative) to hear God’s voice.
God’s Response to Heartbreak
So, Elisha returned with her. He prayed and laid down over the boy; but at first the boy did not awaken. Elisha then walked about the house, again going up and lying down over the boy; but this time the boy came back to life. In this case, God restored the child to the Shunammite woman. Yet, for Horatio Spafford, God did not. However, he assured him of something even greater: that their souls were with Him in heaven. Look at the second and third verses of this great song Horatio Spafford was inspired to write:
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul
A Greater Heartbreak
God so loved us that he was willing to risk heartbreak every step of the way. He knew that by giving man the freewill to reject Him; meant that He will have to choose to have His beloved son endure the cross to pay for our sins. Yet, He also knew that love cannot be fully experienced in all its joy were it not given freewill to choose Him. Yes, for all you Calvinists, I do agree in God’s total Sovereignty as well. I could not come to Him or choose Him if He did not choose and call me. I will not pretend to fully understand how both freewill and predestination are equally true, but I do as did C.S. Lewis and J I Packard. After all, how can I or any human living within time and space constraints fully understand all of God who is outside time and space?
As Jesus stood over Jerusalem and cried, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (Matthew 23:37).
Jesus wept when Mary, Martha and the crowd could not understand that He held within His hands the greatest gift of all—life eternal in Him. He came to give life, and so often we do not understand. Joy, hope, peace and abounding love are found in Him; yet, we seek it in counterfeit joys. Oh, yes, Jesus understands the deepest heartbreak that comes from love; yet, chose to love us anyway.
So, is Love worth the Heartbreak?
I think that if you read carefully the story of the Shunammite woman you will find that she would have said, yes even if her son were not restored. For how much sadder to have never experienced the love of that child. She had been willing to accept barrenness as well before she knew the joy of loving this child. Now during her heartbreak, she still knew “all is well”; because, God is in control and knows what is best. “All things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28). Not everything is good in itself; but, works together for good. Only God can take all my heartbreaks, my failures, and mold them into something beautiful within His hands of love. His grace is sufficient to overcome all my sorrows, my heartbreaks, my guilt and my failures.
It would be impossible for me to know what heartbreak you are facing today. But if you have loved anything, I know that there will be those moments of heartbreak and tears. However, how much better it is to have experienced the joys of love, even if for a season. Then, there is this. There at the center of your heartbreak, know that The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those crushed by pain. (Psalm 34:18). We have a high-priest in Jesus who fully understands our sorrows and has compassion for our weaknesses. He is there to cover us in the covert of His wings of love (Psalm 61:4) and to sing over us with joy in the power of His own love for us. (Zephaniah 3:17).
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because, He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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Previous Post in This Series:
Are you Really Seeking God in All You Do?
Do You Believe God is Your Provider?
What Can One God Fearing Man Do?
What Happens When We Fail to Teach Our Children?
How to Revive Barren Lands with Living Waters
Who will Carry the Torch for God Against Evil?
What if God’s Work Leaves You Alone and Depressed?
Can You See The Army of God Surrounding You?
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2018
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Footnote and Credits
Photo by Jordan Rowland on Unsplash the inscription I added.