Break My Heart

"Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to Eternity"

(from Hillsong's "Hosanna")

I've been singing this song for the past few weeks and the chorus moves me every time. When I begin to lead it on Sunday mornings, I wonder if I will be able to get through it without weeping. So what if I don't? "Break my heart for what breaks Yours." When we pray words like that, we'd better watch out. It's asking for pain, heartache,nights of tossing and turning and days of tormented emotions. If my heart is broken for the hurting around me, I cannot walk past them without feeling their suffering. If I am loving like He loves me, I lay down my own wants to pick up a heavy cross. Who ever said that being a Christan was easy? If we believe that, we deceive ourselves.

Today I was hit in the heart by a reminder of the precious, innocent lives that are living in death, abuse and despair. The voiceless. The unborn baby whose life is seen only as a mere "inconvenience." The newborn child who is born but is hated by his mommy because she was raped and every time she looks at him it only reminds her of her own pain. The precious children who are trapped in abusive homes where every manner of evil is being done to them. I cried out to God, "Give me courage, Lord. Help me to put my own safety and comforts aside to be your VOICE for the voiceless. Your hands and feet. I don't want to stand by and watch from the sidelines." I know in my own life there were times I asked "Why doesn't someone stand up for me? This is so unjust? Doesn't anyone care about my heart?" Today the Lord reminded me of the sting of that pain as He gently moved my heart to take a stand. I pray that it's not too late. I pray for healing for the hearts that have been wounded. And I pray for a turning of the current, that the cycles would be broken in the name and by the shed blood of Jesus.

Lord, I give you permission to keep breaking my heart. Bring me to my knees. When I am tempted to get off track and forget about the world around me, "Open up my eyes to the things unseen. Show me how to love like You have loved me."