Have you ever felt gut punches of brokenness? I remember sitting alone in my sadness during a season when words of betrayal were breaking me apart. The tears were there, but I didn’t want to let them fall or give hurtful words any headspace. The enemy knows exactly where to punch us, but this was not my battle to fight, even though the deep hurt made me want to put on my boxing gloves.
In this season of my life, I am daily discovering a different way of dealing with the punches of betrayal and brokenness. Instead of running, I turn to the psalms in Scripture and let those words serve as a gentle guide. As I follow their leading, I discover that the hurt and ache don’t keep me from the comfort of God.
What the psalmists knew—and what I find—is that God’s invitation to draw near (James 4:8) isn’t just for those euphoric moments of worship and praise. His invitation stands, even when we can’t. The vulnerable lament in Psalm 38:9 reminds me I don’t need to cover up my despair or disguise my misery. O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. Along with giving God my worship, He invites me to bring my wounds as well.
As I flipped through my journal written over the past few years, I realized some of the difficult hurdles in life look like scribbles on a page – simply words. Other times, 
they took the form of naming my disappointment or writing the hard questions that spilled from hurt. And on some pages, the brokenness looked like tears falling fast, without words, as I stood trusting the Holy Spirit to articulate what I simply could not. (Romans 8:26) When I walked in the steps of the believers and grievers before me, I met hope amid the pain. No matter what I brought to the Lord, He redeemed it and reminded me that the battle is His.
When your heart has been hurt and it feels like you are walking through a dark canyon, it’s good to remember that pain doesn’t get the last word. Rather than carving a canyon between God’s heart and ours, the ache paves a path straight to His presence. God never wastes a hurt or a tear. He wants you to let the tears fall; He counts every one of them and holds them to His heart. Your tears are prayers. He hears them all and will someday give them purpose as part of your testimony.
So, I invite you to take off the boxing gloves and give the battle back to God. Breathe. He has a big plan for your life, and it is very good.