Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and loved.

Jesus uses people and connections to heal us. He was the ultimate example of this in His lifetime of connecting with others one by one. Satan, on the other hand, wants us to turn inward and disconnect. Even getting caught up in our to do list is Satan’s victory, if it means we have no time for connecting and listening.

We are all puzzles with missing pieces. Different people in our life bring different puzzle pieces that fit together to make us whole. We must be open to accepting those people and their puzzle pieces, which can be very difficult. Vulnerability is a part of the process of connecting. To love is to be vulnerable to all sorts of pain and hurting. But as Jesus has asked of us, we must be willing to come to Him with a “broken heart”. We must be willing to actively participate in the process of healing others as well as our selves. In fact, as we help others heal, the Lord makes our own healing possible.

We each have a heart wall. We build it around our hearts in order to protect them from being hurt. That which we call protection is the very thing that doesn’t allow us to be healed. We must actively remove our heart wall in order to be healed.

I personally believe there is power in family connections, even those beyond the grave. Whether it is someone you knew before they died, or someone in your distant ancestry, we can heal through connections made with those who came before us. When I am having a bad day, I am drawn to the stories of several great grandmothers who left journals behind, allowing me to witness first hand their own suffering and their ability to overcome those sorrows.

One such great, great grandmother was actually on my husband’s side, but I feel very connected to her after reading her 300 page journal while pregnant with my third child. My pregnancy was difficult and filled with depression and anxiety. As I read her words, they were healing and joyful, despite their own difficulties. She lived in Mexico and took care of so many people. She had to learn the language and rarely saw her husband. She faced poverty, lack of food, the Mexican revolution, and a whole host of issues as a mother in a strange land. I named my third daughter after her: Hannah Jane. If she could overcome, so can I.

My grandmother GG, who passed away 21 years ago, remains my dear friend and guardian angel. She has put her loving arms around me countless times since leaving this earth. Though I physically can’t see or feel her, I am always impressed by her spirit when it talks to mine. She had similar health problems to mine; she and I both married red heads; we have the same almond shaped eyes. These connections remain despite the distance between us, and it is healing to know that separation will not be forever.

Connections take work. They can also be joyous and healing. Most importantly, they are something the Lord wants us to put time and effort into. Don’t give up on them, and don’t give into Satan. Keep connecting.