what a world

it's been a rough week of sad news in our little (and big) world.
with charlie sheen's delusional rampage as a sort of canvas/backdrop for it all....

my poor mom went from in bed with pneumonia to in bed with shingles, practically overnight..
we have had (in no particular order)
a friend whose mom passed away after years of illness...
a friend waiting to hear test results for possible cancer...
a friend whose twins were just diagnosed with TTTS in utero...
a friend who's been hospitalized due to mental illness...
a record earthquake in Japan with resulting tsunami.
a brother from church who lost his battle with drug addiction last night.
and a friend who is having complications with her long-awaited first pregnancy.

life is hard, yo.
one thing after another makes for a heavier heart than normal. and yet, on the tails of my last post, i wonder if God is letting me in a little more to the things that break His heart, so-to-speak. these sorrows (multiplied exponentially) are all before the eyes of the Lord, all the time. Jesus walked this earth, aware of each and every breaking heart he encountered-- he was a "man of sorrows" himself, well acquainted with grief. and because he walked our road, knew our pain, and bore the entire weight of it all on our behalf, we are able to weep before him unashamed. we do not bring our sorrows before a distant, unfeeling God, but to an intimate friend and ultimate healer.

"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
(Hebrews 4:15-16)

I love that when our hearts are overwhelmed, and our tongues get tied, we are able to lean on the promise that God knows our hearts, and His Spirit actually intercedes on our behalf-- He interprets our groanings too deep for words-- and turns them into prayers for us. And so, as i go about my busy day and am distracted by the doings of motherhood, i pause here and there to groan for you, my friends; to speak the language of longing, hurting, waiting, anxiety, helplessness, grief, and pain... from my heart for each of you (and the millions of others who join our cries) to the GREAT heart of God. ....who amazingly hears each cry as a Father, and rushes to throw His comforting embrace around you.
May you find your peace in knowing He knows your hurt, and He loves you through it, more deeply than you can imagine. We live in a crazy world. But we do not live without Hope.