Tuesday, July 2, 2013

A Burdened Heart

On Sunday morning we sang the song "Hosanna" by Hillsong United.  The bridge to this song has extremely powerful words:
   Heal my heart and make it clean
  Open up my eyes to the things unseen
  Show me to to love like You have love me.

  Break my heart for what breaks yours
  Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause,
  As I walk from earth into eternity.

The very next day the Lord answered the pr. I sang the previous morning.  I was spending the afternoon with a local friend.  As we were walking, she simply said "Jennifer, today I am sad....".  She left the statement hanging, like it did not really deserve to be validated or explored in more detail.  Of course I asked her why she felt that way and for the next twenty minutes she confided in me all the reasons why she was sad.  I felt so overwhelmed hearing about all of her problems and was angered by the unjust actions that have adversely affected her.

As I was in my own head trying to respond with wisdom, the lyrics above came to the forefront of my mind.  It was as if Abba was saying: "Jennifer you asked for me to open up your eyes and break your heart, so I am doing it.  This is only a fraction of the billions of things that break my heart each day.  Feel this pain, take this burden to heart.  Only after you sit with the suffering of those around you can you truly know how to love people like I love them"

I know understand His capacity to love like never before. But I am still wondering how to respond to people in situations of injustice.  I can know feel their pain, but what do I do with it?  How can I go from feeling people's burdens to loving them on a practical level?  So many questions that He will answer in His own timing. I had an experience this week with the living G-d who lovingly gave me a glimpse of His heart and will teach me how to use it for His glory.