Hurting for the Broken

Last night at dance my friend Kaitlyn read a note that she had written on facebook about hurt, healing and hope (http://www.new.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=27630863050) and we were talking about it and were just really broken together about some hurting friends. As we were crying it just made me wonder that if we as human beings can feel such hurt for someone else, how much does it hurt God when His children are broken and hurting? There are some things you just can't wrap your mind around but I know that if my heart breaks over people and their pain how much more so is that true for God?

One of my favorite lines from a Bethany Dillon song is:
"I cannot believe You are angry or unjust, You have done nothing but have compassion on us."

God, break our hearts for what breaks Your heart and give us the courage to dive into other people's pain like you are willing to do everyday and not walk away. Help us to being willing to really go there, just like Elisha did with the Shunamite woman's son. He went in and shut the door and was willing to literally lie on top of him and breathe life into him. (2 Kings, 4:8-37) Are we really willing to go to that place and feeling what God feels for that person, even that person that is "unlovable" and the least of these?

I think it's really easy to walk away from people's pain. We all have pain in our life and sometimes we want to stay in our pain and have people come to us and understand what we're going through and love us. I know there are times for that but we need to be the ones willing to not wallow in our self-pity or selfishness and be willing to step beyond our pain and go to that hard place with others. Let Jesus heal your heart and work through your pain and not sit there comfortable in your pain but go beyond it and let it teach you what God wants to teach you so you can go about what God has called us all to do. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Love like crazy.