Away From Home
Encountering Sexual Diseases & Broken Hearts In “Love” Relationships
In my many years of practicing Family Medicine, I’ve seen, heard, and felt the cries of many a broken heart. It’s hard to forget the flowing tears, and the loud cries of young broken hearts. Unfortunately, so many anxieties about various sexual diseases contracted during “love” relationships afflict a lot of young men and women.
A patient once shared with me that a new boyfriend left and broke her tender heart. Consequently, She was sobbing and crying profusely as she shared her story with me.
Alas, no words could comfort her. So, I just calmly listened as tears filled her eyes and streamed down her face.
Yearning For Home
“I just want to see mom and dad…I miss them so much…want to go home,” she said as the flow of tears choked her words. A deep sense of betrayal, rejection, and abandonment overwhelmed her.
Feeling of loneliness and worries gripped her heart. Someone whom she deeply loved and trusted has left her with a contagious disease, and a made up excuse. The pain of rejection, and the anxiety of a life time of a dreaded disease was too much to bear. So she cried as I listened to her tearful words.
The world with its traps, deception, and demanding relationships is harsh and unmerciful. Sooner or later, we’ll all find out that it’s safer at “home” where parents and those we trust dwell. But, unfortunately, many of my patients and a lot of us did not grow up in such a home. Not everyone grew up, or currently lives, in a home that’s deemed safe. Sadly, many of us dwell in homes with people that can’t be trusted.
Living in a Ruthless World
Nevertheless, in a dark, corrupt and often times unloving world where greed, lust and predators abound, we need a home.
My patient’s world was dark and harsh and so she cried. Many of us cry. Some uncontrollably like she did, while others with silent tears that can mushroom into depression, anxieties and addictions that will need to be treated.
Truly, we live in a world where lies, liars, greed, cruelty, pride, and lust are the norm. Sadly, it’s a place where “love” relationships can be fake, and often times lead to broken hearts and sexually transmitted diseases.
Many of us medical professionals have become so skillful in treating the rampant epidemic of depression, anxieties, and mental health crisis that plague our patients. Fortunately, we have been blessed with so many effective medications to treat these plethora of diseases.
But to heal our anguished hearts from the wear and tear of abuse and rejection in relationships we need a “home”. And in order to heal our deceived and wounded souls from the lashes of a brutal world we need to go “home”.
Going back Home
Jesus tells us a story in the Bible about a son who asked his dad for his inheritance money. He got the money and left home. Following that, he spent his money, energy, and time in fun and pleasures. But like everything else pleasurable in life, all of his fun and excitement ended when his money dried up. And much like what we face today, his “friends” and those he had a relationship with abandoned him. As expected, they drew closer to him to enjoy and take what he offered, and abandoned him when he had nothing left to give.
But, after losing everything; money, friends, and dignity he decided to go back home where he was warmly welcomed and accepted by his Father who represents God.
In a world where predators, abuse, rejection and hurt abound, God offers us a home to come back to.
True healing for my heart and yours is only found in a home, a secure relationship, where we can safely find someone that we can completely trust. Home is a warm place where we are fully and unconditionally forgiven, loved and accepted.
Home: Living in a Trusting Relationship
To Jesus, home is where we find a healthy and trusting relationship with God. It’s where we know without a shadow of a doubt or any hidden agenda that we’re both liked and loved. Similarly, it’s a place of light and peace of heart where we are not “loved” for our bodies, looks, money or success. A home is where The trustworthy God is in a genuine, loving, honest relationship with those who choose to dwell in it.
Finally, home is a dwelling where our self-rejection, self-depreciation, and self-hate end. It’s where self-disdain, devaluation, and self-condemnation cease. Because of that , at home we begin to see ourselves the way God sees us; redeemable, accepted, loved, valuable and beautiful.
I’m certain that it’s only in such a relationship between God and man/woman, with its single motive: love, that our hearts begin to heal. Even in a world where deception and cruel relationships prevail, we can find hope. Ultimately, my patient’s tears will stop, and we will no longer cry when we are back home.
So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
Luke 15: 20-21
Views expressed here are only of the author, and do not represent the views of any other organization or entity. Information in this blog are not meant to be medical advice. Please see your medical provider or psychologist for any of your medical or psychological concerns.