Heartstrings

I’m not exactly sure what we were talking about, but the picture that came to my mind at my Sunday school teacher’s words won’t leave.

He spoke of giving our hearts to God and God breaking them in order to reshape them, mold them into something better. He said we feel it–feel the pain that comes with it–because the arteries are still connected to us.

And I keep seeing a heart in the hands of the Almighty and Merciful Creator as He peels off scabs and layers, breaks the walls and hardness and chains, shatters the preconceived notions and lies, turns up the heat till all the dross is scooped out, squeezes and reforms and molds. Arteries and veins and nerves trail back to the chest of a person, who is crying in pain and surrender, raising their hands in questioning and worship, on their knees–even doubled over–in despair and humility.

Because it hurts and we don’t like it and it’s hard and we don’t understand. . . but we believe it’s for the good. We know God is God and God is good and God is loving us and shaping us into who He wants us to be, who we should be. We believe He has a purpose for this pain, even if it’s simply to bring us closer to Him, in relationship and likeness.

So even in the pain, there’s praise. Even while we have questions, we surrender. Even though we’re pressed down to our knees in despair, we stay there in humility, making ourselves decrease so that God can increase (John 3:30).

My dear friend, when grief presses you to the dust, worship there!

Charles Spurgeon, from Pinterest

sometimes it’s through tears that i’m singing
“you’re a good good father” and “blessed be your name”.
God understands heartache and the heaviness of life.
and maybe these moments are what God longs for,
tears streaming but hands raised,
instead of us trying to “have it all together”.
sometimes worship is brokenness.
sometimes real worship happens in the undoing of ourselves.

from Pinterest

P.S. Just realized tomorrow is the second-year-anniversary of this blog! Read Becoming a Blogger for the background story, and know that I appreciate everyone who is still following along and everyone who has started following along in the past year! Blessings to you all!