Heaven and health. “What an odd title…”, you say. “What does one have to do with the other”? you ask.
Is there really a connection between heaven and health?
Well, read on, and you’ll be surprised to find a relationship between one’s attitude and belief about heaven and its impact on one’s health.
I know you might be thinking that I write about the oddest things. Humor me, you’ll thank me later.
We all know that pain is inevitable and comes from a variety of events that we will go through in our lifetime. Loss of a loved one, divorce, loss of stability, end of a cherished relationship, unfulfilled expectations, failure, and so many more.
But there are some people who seem to go through life without skipping a beat. I know.. I agree, it’s what it seems like.
However, this is life. We can’t assume that it’s going to be smooth sailing the whole time for anyone. Expecting the unexpected. Preparing for the unknown. Can we ever be prepared?
Here’s what I believe it is. There are people with faith in action, hope in the eternal promise, trusting in the One who holds tomorrow, believing in the promises made by the One who said He will never leave us nor forsake.
Let me start with this story so you know how desperately brokenhearted I was in that dreadful month of September 2021 when I lost my husband, Doug, and my daughter Joanne four days apart. Needless to say, I was devastated and grief struck me to the core. I felt like someone was tearing me apart, limb by limb and cutting me open with a dull knife and removing each organ in my body slowly, meticulously yet violently. The pain in my chest was severe, it felt like this dull knife was stabbing my heart to pieces over and over.
I had no idea what the pain, the grief and the devastation would do to my body, my health, my mental capacity. It was like, if you close your eyes and you think about the worst day you’ve ever had in your life, it was like that but 1000 times worse.
I didn’t realize that my loss almost destroyed my health. I had to rethink my life, I had to stop dwelling on who was not here and what I lost. I had to stop crying, stop feeling sorry for myself, stop asking God “why?” I asked God so many times why, why did they both have to go?
Why did my grandson, Ethan, who was five years old at that time, have to lose his mommy?
Why did He allow my husband to die because of the hospital’s lack of knowledge, subpar care. and dangerous protocols?
Doug went into the hospital healthy and was dead in 3 weeks?
I can pretty much answer my own question. Why not me? Why should I be exempt from suffering? God doesn’t have to justify anything to me!
The Bible says in Job 1:20-21
Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head;
and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
I had to return to my past. The time when I was in trouble, a prodigal. Without a rudder, without morals. Without spiritual guidance, not having even a single thought about God. The Bible, prayer, I was estranged from God and all that He represented.
But I knew He was the only One who had the power to get me through this terrible loss.
So, I turned to God once again and reached for the “hem of His robe”. When I was very young, I always sought comfort in the promises of the Almighty, God, the creator of heaven and earth, and everything in it, the ONE who is infinitely wise, and the ONE who promised to “never leave me, nor forsake me”, the ONE whose hand has been on my life ever since I can remember.
Because of my past experience with God, His forgiveness, His sovereignty, His abundant and overflowing providence, grace and mercy over my life, my relationship with Him was not diminished or affected by my tragic losses. It actually pushed me to seek Him even more fiercely. To me, He was the only ONE who could save me and restore me.
With God, nothing is impossible.
I knew I wasn’t going through this “wilderness” alone. I knew the grief was not for naught. A pastor I listen to said we go through tough circumstances because we are “training for the reigning!” in eternity. For the believer, this is the Blessed Hope.
This perspective about my final destination, heaven, and the knowledge that I was created to glorify God to enjoy Him forever refocused me to why I am here. I needed to work on improving my health.
I was in bad shape physically and emotionally. I praise God that my spiritual foundation was firm. Because of this, my feet stayed on solid ground.
But what I saw in the mirror staring back at me terrified me.I had to act fast and return to my God-given talents and learned skills to heal myself.
I started to eat better, gained some weight back, started to exercise, and got back to business. I started to network again, talk to women, and am committed to educating and providing resources that would help others establish a graceful aging journey, in spite of what they may have experienced.
I felt better. The grief was not so oppressive, the pain was lesser. When I did feel emotionally distraught, I sought refuge in the Holy Scriptures filled with His promises. I prayed and sought refuge in God’s presence and asked Him to help me.
Are you getting the relationship between heaven and health yet?
Heaven is hope. I realized that if I did not believe what God said, that if I did not cling to His promises in the Holy Scriptures, then I have no faith, if I have no faith, I have no hope and if I have no hope, I have no future. And I’m calling Him a liar!
So once I started solidifying eternity in my mind, what awaits me in heaven, being reunited with my loved ones for eternity (last time I checked, eternity means forever!), once I boiled it down to that Blessed Hope, it was like flipping a switch.
My view of my circumstances changed. Sometimes I even feel weird because the joy of anticipation permeates my very being,I no longer grieve in the way of hopelessness even though I really miss Doug and Joanne, and I do miss them so very, very much my heart aches. Don’t get me wrong, I still wish they were here. There are days when I want to talk to Doug, my best friend, the one person who loves me even though he knows the worst of me. Even when I just need a hug after a trying day or a day when I’ve had to work long hours, or when I’ve been disappointed about something.
There are times when I want to hug Joanne to tell her I love her and to thank her for the great job she is doing to raise her son Ethan to become the godly man that God intends for him to be.
Or to praise her for her great tech and artistic skills that I have benefited from.
I started serving at church as an usher, to grow my church family. I signed up to be in the Call ministry to learn how to disciple, evangelize and share the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ.
I reached out to my community and opened my heart to it. People prayed for me and I prayed for people. I started a prayer list(this really made me have a true purpose!).
I began sharing with anyone who would listen to my tragic experience, my losses, my grief, the pain and how God saw me through it, how my Savior Jesus Christ walked with me through the “wilderness”, and when I couldn’t walk any longer, He lifted me up and carried me.
So if you ask me today, how I’m doing? I would have to say I have unspeakable joy! Not “happy”, because happiness is a circumstance, a happenstance. Joy is not affected by circumstances. Joy forms deep in the heart, birthed by a trust in a power that is only available through the ONE with whom nothing is impossible.
I give God all the glory!
You see what I mean when I say heaven and health are connected?
My Biblical view of heaven is hope, hope is faith, faith determines my future. And this is how I am able to restore my physical, emotional and spiritual health and put grief in a box that I would have to make an effort to take out.
I pray I encouraged you if you are currently grieving about a loss of some type. Don’t hesitate to connect with me. I would love to pray with and for you.
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Finally, to be very transparent and honest, prior to September 2021, I never thought about heaven other than I know that it is my final home. At least not in the way that I do today.
Recommendations:
Aromatherapy is one of the ways that I supported my physical and emotional health. I only recommend doTERRA Essential Oils.
Lemon – is the oil of focus.
It engages the mind and aids concentration. Lemon assists in releasing feelings of despair and hopelessness by restoring feelings of joy and happiness. It’s also great for the digestive system. To use aromatically, diffuse a few drops in a diffuser. Dilute a drop with fractionated coconut oil and apply on the bottom of the feet. Drop 1 drop in 4 ounces of water to drink.
Serenity – is the oil of tranquility and has a powerful effect on the mind and the heart.
A uniquely calming blend that invites relinquishing of feelings of stress, anxiousness and being overwhelmed. Serenity brings a sense of tranquility that allows space for personal reflection, peace and healing. Great for sleep. Drop a few drops in a diffuser during bedtime. Apply topically on the bottoms of the feet after diluting with fractionated coconut oil.
If you need help obtaining essential oils at wholesale prices, please feel free to email or send a text. For more tools and resources see us at https://www.
Stimulate your forehead gently for 2 minutes with your eyes closed, for calming.
Combine this with aromatherapy and experience the most powerful and amazing benefits.
Grace Richardson, NCCA
In August 2021, my husband, Doug, daughter, Joanne and I got Covid19. Both Doug and Joanne developed respiratory issues that they felt would be relieved by going to the hospital. Little did I know that they would not be returning home. Doug passed away on September 8 and Joanne on September 12.
It was worse than a punch in the gut. My heart was shredded. I would have traded my life for my daughter's so her then 5 year old son could have his mom. Doug and Joanne were my support system in life and business. It felt like all my limbs were cut off one limb at a time! But for God....
The pain was excruciating.
I lost 20+ lbs. I looked and felt horrible. Sagging jowls, wrinkled skin... I had aged at least 10 years! The loss of Doug and Joanne 4 days apart was more than I could bear and it showed. Seeing myself in the mirror scared me. I had to turn my attention back to my health. The grief caused havoc to my internal organs from lack of proper nutrition, hydration, extreme stress, lack of sleep, and consistent emotional distress. I was in trouble. Unless the internal and emotional issues are attended to first, anything I do externally will be temporary and may even be ineffective.
As a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist and Face Reflexologist, I had the tools to restore my health and ultimately my appearance. I created aromatherapy blends and face reflexology points to address my internal and emotional issues. Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional!
My success in restoring myself gave birth to my Beauty. After. Ashes. -Healing Gracefully Method. Today, I am focused on helping women who have experienced loss, trauma or grief, teaching them that there is life after devastation and the good news is it's in our very own hands and through our faith that God is real and He is faithful.
