Break Our Hearts

I've been wanting to share about what broke my heart on the last day of our trip in Peru, but I haven't yet found the words. 

For some people in third world countries, the poverty is so great that even the small children must work to just provide food. In Manaugua, Nicaragua there are young kids performing acrobatic acts and juggling or cleaning windshields in the middle of 8 lanes of traffic in hope you'll drop them a little change. In Lima, Peru we are told children are given a box of candy or trinkets and are not allowed to come home until it is all sold. We were briskly walking through the streets when we passed a cardboard box with fruit and candy. Behind it was a pile of something. Inside was a tiny child the size of our 3 year old but obviously much older. She looked sick and had flies on her face. 

I've seen the faces of Compassion International children on tv. 

I've seen them in person, but this little girl...My heart broke. 

I couldn't pick her up or even give her a drink...I felt helpless so I just kept walking. We tried to go back and put money in her box but she was gone. My husband, TJ, wrote this in a devotion to the volunteers at church and it gives me hope and direction for what God is asking us to do next. 

 

"Nehemiah 1:4 – Break our Hearts Lord

“As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days…”

                In their song Hosanna, Hillsong United (and our praise team) invite us to sing to God to break our hearts for what breaks His.  When we sing the words “break our hearts for what breaks yours” I often wonder if we realize what we are asking.  Our hearts breaking isn’t just an emotion that we show, nor is it seeing the need in a situation and simply acknowledging it.  It’s all these things and then doing something about it. It’s bringing joy into a situation that is less than enjoyable.  The word Hosanna itself means joy, adoration, and praise.  When our hearts break for something we as Christians are called to bring Christ into the situation, therefore that is where the joy comes from!  Our hearts breaking for what breaks His means that we have, “put on a mind that is in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5) and seek to follow the Holy Spirit in bringing Joy (Christ) to the world.

  I love the book of Nehemiah, for many reasons, but primarily because Nehemiah saw something that broke the heart of God and he did something about it.  He gives us an example of what happens when our heart breaks for the things of God and then decide to follow Him and not our plans.  The book begins with Nehemiah, who is the cup bearer to King Artexerxes, being given a report from Jerusalem.  Jerusalem was in shambles and was being persecuted by neighboring towns.  This was the worse news as a Jewish man he could have received, period.  It broke His heart not simply because the town was in shambles but because this was supposed to be God’s dwelling place, a city that was holy unto Yahweh. Quite simply Nehemiah’s heart broke because God’s heart was broken.  But here is what I love about Nehemiah; he didn’t just get mad, he didn’t proclaim how much needed to be done and form an action plan, he “sat down, wept, and mourned.”  Why? Because he knew the heart of Yahweh was broken for this very same thing!

What breaks your heart? Is there anything that God is asking you to see with His eyes?  While in Peru on the streets of Lima we encountered a young girl about four or five years old who was covered with newspaper asleep on the steps of a building.  She had no mom or dad who tucked her into a nice warm bed, she had no pillow, she didn’t have money to buy food, and there was nothing that could be done that day that would prevent the same situation the next day.  It opened my eyes to the same things here.  What breaks your heart?  What causes you to mourn for days? 

 I invite you to pray this with me today, Break our hearts for what breaks yours God, show us the things that we should mourn on and let’s see where the Lord leads us."

T.J.