Do Not Let Your Heart Be Troubled

Liliana Tavera resides in Arizona with her wonderful and supportive husband Javier, and her surviving children, Xavier and Carlos. She's currently serving in the USAF and, when not on duty, spends free time with her family walking nature trails and enjoying picnics. Liliana focuses on living in the present moment, as she honors the memory of her daughter Sofia, who went to heaven in June 2020.

Recently, my husband told me we had to take one of our sons to urgent care. I was not okay, but I kept my focus on Jesus. That day, the sky was very, very dark but in the middle of that darkness, I saw a beautiful rainbow hidden between the black clouds. I felt that the rainbow was a sign.

At the urgent care, my husband went in with my son. My other son and I waited in the waiting room. I closed my eyes and started to pray. Again, I tried to focus on Jesus. All I wanted was to hear him and feel the peace of his presence. Suddenly, I heard:

“Do not let your heart be troubled.”

People came in and out of the building. I kept my eyes closed, and overheard a mom talking to the receptionist:

Mom: "I am checking on my daughter."

Receptionist: "What is the name of your daughter?"

Mom: "Sofia."

I opened my eyes right away and smiled. Sofia is the name of our beautiful daughter we lost. Now I knew that not only God knew what was going on, but my Angel Sofía knew, too.

While at the hospital

The next day, my son was scheduled for surgery to remove his appendix. Here we were again, at a hospital, just as we had been with Sofia. I kept thinking about what I heard the day before at urgent care, repeating it in my mind over and over again:

“Do not let your heart be troubled.”

Do not let your heart be troubled for something that has not yet come. Stay in the present, the future is an illusion.

We are not in control, God is.

God knows the outcome, we don't.

I stayed as focused and grounded as I could for my child.

My moment of awe

Many painful memories came to mind that afternoon while we were waiting for the surgeon to come out. I kept praying for God's peace and strength. How relieved and grateful I felt when the surgeon came out and said: "Everything went well; your son is okay."

Then I turned to the book I had taken with me to the hospital and opened it at random. To my surprise, here is what I read on the page:

“Do not let your heart be troubled,

you believe in God, believe also in me.”

John 14:1

My heart was overjoyed. I smiled at God and thanked him for reassuring me of his presence. He is always near to the brokenhearted.