Broken Hearted

Yesterday I was privileged to go with my sweet, dear friend, Gwen, to hear her speak at an adoption fund-raiser. It was good to get out of the house and just sit with Gwen when she isn't in the midst of doing ten things at once and even though she was nervous about what she was going to say, she was strapped into her car seat so she couldn't exactly run around and package shirts and check e-mail. It was nice.

Gwen did an amazing job and of course, she spoke out the truth, calling folks to action and testifying to the changes in her life since she has adopted. All of that was beautiful and glorifying to the Lord. I expected to be proud of Gwen, but I didn't necessarily expect to hear anything that was any sort of revelation to me, after all, I talk to Gwen every day and, well, inevitably, ALOT of our conversation centers around orphans. But God can send a Word, even when your senses are dull and not on the look-out.

She spoke about how we have a choice. We can look into the faces of the homeless, the orphan, the poor, the enslaved, and we can choose to see them. We can make that choice, knowing we will be broken hearted. Or we can choose to protect our hearts and not see them. Of course, you can guess what she thought the right choice was. The thing that was an epiphany to me was that I have been walking around thinking that God must be wanting me to do something different, something more, something that I just wasn't getting! In reality, I think He has me right where he wants me. Just because I am broken-hearted, does not mean that He is trying to get me somewhere else. It's just that where He has me is heart-breaking. I'm privileged that He chose me to be here, broken hearted with Him on this. Because He IS BROKEN HEARTED TOO!!!!! The good news about injustice? God sees it and He's there! I am choosing to serve orphans in the way that God has given to me, with the talents He has given me, and it's heart-breaking and it's always going to be because there is no solving it, there's only making a small difference. But if each of us make a small difference, it will be a collective huge difference. It will break your heart, but God will hold your hand!

I know you all "get it". I'm preaching to the choir. I wish I had a thousand followers who were so obsessed with me that they have their own side group on Facebook, but I don't. I just have the 38 of you who already get it. :) But boy if I did have thousands of followers, couldn't I challenge some folks to help the helpless? Thanks for listening. It helps so much to lay it down with those of you who truly understand my heart!

Matthew 9:36-38 from The Message translation:

"When he looked out over the crowds hies heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. "What a huge harvest!" he said to his disciples. "How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!"