May each of you have the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, and the hand to execute works that will leave the world a little better for your having been here. -- Ronald Reagan

Friday, January 29, 2010

The Crushed Heart of Those Who Mourn

We all lament those loved ones we've lost. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted". The heart ache. I heard a line from the show "Bones", 'A heart isn't hard like a bone, it doesn't break; it's a muscle, and it gets crushed.' Paraphrasing. It makes so much sense. I lost a dear friend to cancer two days before Christmas, and my heart was crushed. It ached under the pressure.

The Greek word 'to morn' used in this verse, is the strongest sense of loss that can be expressed. Something happens when we experience so much grief our heart aches. It's a contrast to all things being blissful and bright all the time. The desert has sun nearly all the time, and it's parched and dry. A little rain there brings lovely life. A loss shows who supports and loves us; brings us closer together. The personal ache in this Beatitude. Blessed by heart ache.

There's the altruistic in this verse. We care about the suffering of others. "God's Groceries" at our church feeding what poor we can. People from all over the world offering aid, time, money and anything else to help the Haitian people right now. Katrina, tsunami...so much loss and suffering, and we see so many others reaching out. Blessed by sharing.

Then there's the saddest of all, our own shortcomings, moral and spiritual. My heart is crushed that I'm so separated from Christ. What have we done that He had to go through what He did? We still do things that crush His heart. We grieve for this, and are contrite, repent, and take comfort in God, who still offers us forgiveness. Blessed by forgiveness and salvation.

We suffer the loss of a loved one, and are blessed being comforted and supported by those that love us. Others suffer and we reach out in love and caring, and are blessed for our sharing. We mourn the loss of Christ, and grieve our loss, and are blessed by His forgiveness. If you take one step toward God, he'll take nine steps toward you. He can change your mourning and sorrow to love and grace. That's a huge blessing and comfort.

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