His gift

Sometimes it seems easier, safer, less work to carry our hurts around rather than open up, be exposed to Jesus, to others, to people we love.
Somewhere in the process we give in to the idea that we can carry our junk around with us and keep it hidden, keep the heart safe.

Hearts broken from people we love, people we thought we could trust, hearts broken from sins of this world. Selfish people, unmet expectations, disappointments of crushed dreams. Hidden heartbreaks from hands that hurt the heart deep, hands that were made to cup a child's face tender, instead they touch the body dirty, breaking places deep in souls, hands lashing out in anger, hands pointing disapproval. Words thrown out that ring rejection, guilt, shame, unworthiness. Broken hearted Husbands and wives who's vows were broken, hearts torn in two, careers that don't work out, torn relationships that went astray. These are just a few of the hurts that many carry around.

Must wear the heart down heavy.

Some how, sometimes, we clench our fists, cross our arms, close up our hearts, our minds, and think we could have done better, that God could have done better.

We hide our hearts, we carry the pain in secret. Wishing for all that was, that wasn't, all that should have been. The if only's.
We allow satan the ability to pile on chains heavy, shoulders slumped down, head held low, mind worn, heart weary.

Satan works his ways subtle. He isolates us with lies, he deceives, He steals.
We have a choose, we can either go with the lies, the deceiver, the one who brings death, or we open up and expose our pain, we can surrender our barriers, our fears, our brokenness, resentment, unforgiveness and sin.

We can open our hearts, our ugly hurts, wide open to Jesus, to surrender it all, to give Him our all, every little bit that we are, our broken, our pretty, our nothing worth giving.

He takes us, He holds us close, He tenderly lights up the dark places. Surrender all of us for all of Him, all our weaknesses our secrets for all His strength and love. Fall into God's loving arms, His gentle hands that bear scars from our sin, our broken. Nails pierced for our sin, blood that flowed to cleanse us deep, a heart that holds so much love for us that was willing to give His life up for death, so we can behold life, healing, forgiveness.

God says in Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

He asks, He knocks quietly, He whispers with longing, and He waits, He waits for our invitation for Him to come in, to dwell, to enter our hearts, our home, every room, every dark corner, every locked door, every cob webbed closet. , He takes it all in. He receives all of us. He longs to be our one and only, He comes in our heart's home with no hesitating, no judgement, no concern for the ugly, the darkness, the hidden places, where hurt dwells, questions hide, pain lingers. He doesn't flinch at our ugly, He sees the beauty, and He wants our broken. He sees our needs, our broken,, and He waits for us, for permission, to entrust our hearts to Him, so He can bring us into the truth of who we are in Him. Broken but lovely, afraid but safe, ugly but beautiful, weak but Strong.

He longs to bring life and joy, to bring rest to the trying and striving, and failing. He longs for our hearts to be hidden in His love, His safety, His work of healing walked out with vulnerable surrender. His Word pouring out truth, His promises held strong. His gift, His heart's desire, to mend wounds, restore the weary, to remove chains and make the heart whole.

Him being who He is, regardless of what we've done. Him receiving our broken and ugly, laid bare before Him; He takes our ashes and gives us beauty. Us set free from sin and death, brought into His light by His grace on the cross, the gift that cost Him everything, given freely to us. His beauty, His love, His everything, to us, even us, all sin washed with blood that flowed down, with nail scarred hands pierced with nails we pounded in. He exchanges our shame, our broken, our dirty, for His fullness of life, of joy, of hope and healing. All of Him, for all of us.

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not die but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.