Broken Heart

My StoryWorth question this week was “Have you ever had your heart broken?” I admit I have wrestled with this question. Heartbreak is very personal. Sharing selected stories of heartbreak may be worthwhile and helpful to others. Other stories of heartbreak would be hurtful and full of heartbreak for those reading the stories.

Heartbreak comes in various forms; words spoken, words read, actions taken, deliberate atrocities, deceit, lies, and simply just life incidents of which one has no control.

I have my funny heartbreak story of when I was a junior high school girl hoping for a date to the junior high prom. Ricky Mallow was such a handsome ninth grader. He asked me, “do you want to go to the prom?” I was thrilled. I answered “YES” of course. He responded, “then go ahead.” That broke my little teenage heart.

Through the years heartbreak appeared with my dad changing jobs and moving our family. We had moved to Elkins, WV when I was in the fifth grade. He moved us to Covington, VA when I was in the eleventh grade. Heartbreak was leaving my friends and my popularity in the school. Heartbreak was when after seven years in Chester, WV my husband moved us back to the town I hated as a teenager, Covington, VA. Heartbreak was witnessing a child being married to man who was unfaithful. Heartbreak was needing to intervene when a child was being abused. Heartbreak was having my daughters unhappy with me for leaving their father when I knew I had no choice. Heartbreak was discovery of my husband not being who he said he was after four years of marriage. Heartbreak is having your lifestyle destroyed because of your husband’s ill health and dependence. Heartbreak could be remembrances of those words spoken, words read, actions taken, deliberate atrocities, deceit, lies and simply just life incidents of which one has no control. The story does not end here.

My preacher/pastor, Roger Bush, came to my house one day. We chatted and I shared with him significant heartbreaks I had. He prayed with me. He held up his arms to demonstrate an invisible box. He told me that Jesus was holding a big box, as big as I needed, and He was asking me to put each heartbreak, each offence into the box. He said that once it went in the box, I could not retrieve it. He reminded me that Jesus takes all our burdens and bears them for us. He asked me to think and place each one into the box. I began. One by one, tear after tear, anger after anger, betrayal after betrayal, went into the box. Freedom of letting go was healing for my emotional struggles and brought a new strategy to my life’s coping skills and spiritual maturity. Through the years after that breakthrough my heartbreaks have continued to go into that box. I forgive quite easily and am open to learning the reason others would resort to breaking hearts and learning the reason behind my very own reactions. I honestly believe we each react from our own woundedness. I thank Jesus for speaking truth to the lies of the enemy and for blessing me with the ability to forgive and turning my heartbreaks into empathy. If sharing my heartbreaks speak to your heartbreaks, remember the box. When someone’s emotional wounds define who they are, allowing Jesus to heal those wounds jeopardizes their identity. Sadguru says, “If you keep the past alive in you, you will be dead to the present.” I challenge you to let Jesus take the box of your heartbreaks so you can live and love. He wants you to “have life and have it more abundantly.”

Janie Roberts Davis 09/26/2025