~A New Perspective

Posted by Stephanie Wright on September 1st, 2010 in Blog | 8 Comments

So I’m watching this video in my small group tonight, and it’s all about community and being there for one another. I mean, the host of the movie even talks about that verse that discusses the group who sold all of their belongings and lived in a state of “what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine.”

And I found myself desperately trying to hold back tears.

Quite honestly, I was at first embarrassed by my emotions at such a random time. And this wasn’t the first time this has happened.

A few weeks ago I attended a conference where Steven Curtis Chapman’s wife discussed the death of their daughter. I was completely choked up.

Last night, I heard the news of a young boy who was killed in a tragic racing accident, and I have been distraught over this ever since. And I’ve never even met the kid, or heard of him until his death, yet I’m laying in my bed crying. What has gotten to me?

I say all of this because I have come to one vital conclusion. I needn’t be embarrassed by these revelations for this reason: what plagues me plagues God too.

Remember that song “Hosanna” where the bridge goes “Break my heart for what breaks yours?” I do. It has been a frequent prayer of mine in the past few months. I want God to reveal to me what affects Him, what breaks His heart, what brings Him joy.

In their book Captivating, John and Stasi Eldredge discuss the feminine soul and heart. One thing they say is that God is revealed through women. They challenge the reader with this: the next time you are with a woman, ask yourself, ‘what does she teach me about God?’

Ever since I read that challenge, it has stuck in my head. Some people might call what I have described above as overemotional, but what if it’s not? What if it’s a reflection of the heart of the Lord?

What if the reason a sad story about someone you’ve never met affects you so much because God is revealing Himself to you?

What if what the world calls overemotional is actually just being in touch with the Spirit of the Lord?

So I want to take John and Stasi’s challenge further: the next time you feel your heart plagued by someone or something or some story, instead of brushing off the feelings as craziness, ask God if this is His way of revealing His heart to you.

You might just be surprised by the answer.