Today’s guest blog is written by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young. She is a Woman of Faith who has encouraged my heart for a few years now. I pray her words encourage your heart, too!

Tuning My Heart

When I was younger, I used to play piano. The piano is one of those instruments that needs to be tuned periodically. I remember watching (or rather listening to) a man tune our piano in our home.

He used a lever or “hammer” to turn the tuning pins inside the piano, an action which increases or decreases the tension of the strings.

A good piano tuning results in two things: accuracy (in tune) and stability (staying in tune). Depending on how accurate your ear is, you can hear when a piano or other instrument is out of tune, because it emits tones and notes that sound “off.”

After my husband’s death, I started to pray for God to tune my heart to the new plans He had for the girls and me. I surrendered to the Master Tuner and let Him lead me in an accurate direction. He was the only one who could provide stability for my heart without my husband. He was the only one who could breathe life into my lungs when I felt out of breath.

In the darkness of grief, I reached out for God. Each morning I woke up before my children and poured over His Word on the big red couch in our front room. I felt I needed these words to breathe. I prayed for God to give me strength and manna like He gave the Israelites in the wilderness. That food was just enough for that day. I begged God to help me hear the new song He was composing just for me.

Some days I stumbled over the notes. Other days I started to hear a few measures of music, and I found myself humming a tune. Like the psalmist, I cried out: “O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you” (Psalm 125:4, NLT).

Slowly, God began to tune me on the inside. He grew courage and faith in me during that season of waiting and depending on Him through the grief. God was cultivating in me a new sense of purpose. I found myself following dreams of publishing and speaking, buying a new house, and traveling more. I watched my girls gain new confidence and courage at school. Our story began to feel less like a book with a tragic ending and more like a next chapter with the theme of overcoming.

Inspired by Jesus, the apostle John received celestial visions and wrote them down for first-century churches. Many scholars believe John recorded these visions, now recorded in the book of Revelation, while imprisoned on the island of Patmos.23 Revelation 21:4–5 describes a vision of the new heaven and the new earth that I often cling to: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” (ESV).

Friend, let these words serve as an encouragement to you on the grief journey. Though we grieve now, we can look forward to a future when suffering and death will not exist, and when tears will not be necessary anymore. We can use our imaginations and open our hearts in hope for a time when the curse that entered the world through human sin (Genesis 3:14–19) will be reversed.

We can hold on for today because He is indeed tuning our hearts and making all things new. We walk by faith, not by sight.
*This reflection is an excerpt from Dorina’s new devotional journal, Breathing Through Grief (Ink & Willow, Penguin Random House).

Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young grew up in a multiracial family and is a sought-after speaker, former newspaper reporter, writing teacher, and the award-winning author of numerous books, including three released in 2023: Chasing God’s Glory (Waterbrook Multnomah/PRH), Create in Me a Heart of Mercy (Revell), and Breathing Through Grief (Ink & Willow). Dorina leads as the president of the Redbud Writers Guild and the director of Lead Loved, equipping Christian women leaders. She writes for (in)courage by Dayspring and Proverbs 31 Ministries. Dorina chases after God’s glory as a remarried widow with her husband Shawn and three courageous daughters in Central California. Connect with her at www.DorinaGilmore.com.

A photo of Dorina’s book, “Breathing Through Grief”

Text that says, “This blog is sponsored by:”

Dr. Donna Thomas Moses, who specializes in Periodontics, temporomandibular complex (TMJ), and dental implants. At her practice, she strives to make you feel comfortable and relaxed throughout your evaluation and treatment.
Ashlee Burgess Photography, which has been a photography business in the West Georgia area since 2014. Specializing in weddings, elopements, and couples, Ashlee also loves working with seniors & individuals for portraits! No matter the subject in front of her camera, her goal is to create warm, dreamy images that capture the emotion of your most precious moments.