I have been fixing up the blog space today and looking through some draft posts to see what half thoughts were laying around waiting to be tossed or finished.
I found this post dated February 2 with the title “What breaks your heart”, and ironically, it was empty.
I say ironically because I can list all sorts of things that break my heart.
- The woman who stopped me on the way to lunch Thursday asking for money for her and her kid’s lunch. ( lying or truth, it still breaks my heart. I gave her all the was free in my pocket, I learned my lesson about making assumptions before and here)
- Most of my parenting decisions
- Our country right now!
- Watching teenagers that I teach make bad decisions
- Facebook ( you know this is true!)
- West Virginia Football ( Waiting for the Fall )
- Watching Ironman athletes get pulled off the course when they are not going to be able to finish in the allotted time
- Realizing there are no Ice Cream Sandwiches in the freezer
- Brainerd High School ( lots of stuff here )
- ME
I could keep listing things like Haiti and Syria, and refugees and meth,and suicide and abortion and Christmas songs playing before Thanksgiving and broken dreams. However, I think 10 deserves some discussion.
Me, that’s what breaks my heart the most. So many times (all the time?) I can relate to David and his “broken and contrite heart” (Psalm 57). He wrote this after he realized the extent of his own actions and sins. When I think about my spiritual inadequacies, my internal fighting ( Romans 7), my inability to execute properly, and my failures to live up the high calling of righteousness, my heart breaks (stays broken).
I think the Lord knows that, and actually, I think he wants us to have a spirit that understands our position and that operates from a position of brokenness. Maybe it’s because it gives me a chance to work, maybe it’s because it makes us realize how much we need Him, maybe it’s because it helps us look at each other just a little bit differently.
The good thing is that he promises comfort
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4
He also promises that he will use a heart that aligns with him and to align I believe that heart has to be softened by the days of this life.
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26 ESV
Look at the same verse from the Message:
“I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands.” Ezekiel 36:26
The lack of ice cream sandwiches may break my heart (a lot!!!), but in the end, the real answer to the question can only be found by making sure our heart breaks for what breaks the Creator’s heart.
What breaks your heart?