I read the most horrible story today. Yet beautiful story. About a dog found in a crate – that he had been trapped in for over a month! As I read the story of rescue, my heart broke.
It broke for the pain and misery the dog endured at the hands of humans.
It broke for the love and compassion of humans who gave him second chance at life.
It broke at the picture of forgiveness – the dog originally hurt by humans, now accepting help from them.
It broke thinking about all the pain and suffering animals (and humans!) endure at the hands of humans.
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- The dog was left in this crate off the road
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- It appeared to have tried to claw his way out of his cage…
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- Emaciated and sick, he was saved and taken to a vet
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- This is what forgiveness looks like
And I cried out to the Lord, “How Long?!?” “How Long must this continue?”
It was then I realized this. That no matter how long,
I must never stop having a broken heart.
God never stops having a broken heart. His mercy is long-suffering. He desires all to know of His love. As much as I want to ignore the pain in this world, allowing my heart to callous is the same deplorable evil I despise.
My heart must stay broken. I must be the Good Samaritan and have extravagant mercy and love for the pain and hurt around me. Ignoring it, pretending it doesn’t exist, explaining evil away, that does nothing to help those in need. Lord of love, save me from measured mercy.
Reading Revelation 11:18 and 21:3-4 brought me the peace that I prayed for, while still allowing my heart to stay broken, readying my feet for action. God may you use me, and each person in your Church, to see the brokenness of this world as you see it, to have compassion and mercy, to love without counting, to be a light to the darkest corners. Until the day you return to demolish all brokenness. Amen.
The nations rages, but your wrath has come, and the time for judging the dead, for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints and all who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying those who destroy the earth…See the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.
One Green Grace 