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The Ice is Melting
This post is part of a series from the book, “The Tangible Kingdom” by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay. Below is my response to one of the reflection questions from the book.
Describe the last time your heart broke for someone.
There are days when my heart is as “Cold as Ice” as 80’s artists Hall & Oates would say. This has bothered me because the things that should break my heart didn’t. Real Jesus-like, I know.
My prayer over the last several years is that God would thaw my heart. That He would break my heart for the people around me and for my city.
The ice is melting.
It’s like God has given me new eyes to see. And there are days that it crushes me. I can see hurt in others much clearer now. I see needs that I overlooked before. I can’t even read the local newspaper anymore without being broken-hearted about what’s going on around me.
My wife and I were engaged in a conversation with a young couple recently. The gal had gone to church most of her life. She knew lots about God. But when the topic of God’s grace came up- she broke down. She had some pretty crummy things done to her and things she had done to herself. And in all her years of going to church, she had never grasped God’s grace. The single greatest message we have and somehow- week after week- she didn’t hear this good news at church. She could however tell us the “to do’s” and “not to do’s” of being a Christian.
My heart broke for her. What makes me sadder is I can tell she wants to believe it- but thinks its too good to be true. In reality, nothing can be more true than grace. God can not love her any more or less than he does right now. He loves her as she is and not as she should be. And He has a life of meaning for her beyond the “do’s” and “don’ts”. She fully comprehends how much she’s blown it. Now all she needs is to believe how much God loves her. I’m praying for her to believe what she so desperately wants to believe.
On this relational journey, I hope my heart will remain soft and break often for people. That I not somehow end up jaded, religious, self-righteous, self-centered, judgmental, and frozen.
I’m discovering that the best way to keep the ice from forming on my heart is to do what Jesus said: Love God and people.
How about you? Describe the last time your heart broke for someone?
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I cried as I read your blog Jason. It’s good to know that there are other people in the human race who react to life as I do.
I was watching a program on tv about autism a few weeks ago. A little boy (who reminded me of my youngest son when he was a child) went from a happy, always smiling, playful, filled with joy and wonder, beautiful child, to a blank wall. Just like that. It broke my heart to see what happened to this little boy. I continued watching for a few more minutes and had to change channels because I was crying uncontrollably. How/why do these things happen to innocent children??
I have 9 grandchildren, ages 13 to 1 and I am so thankful that they are all happy and healthy. I am so blessed in this regard. My son-in-law isn’t so fortunate. He is suffering with advanced colon and liver cancer. He’s only 40 years old. He and my daughter are the parents of 6 of my 9 grandchildren and I’m dreading the day when my daughter tells me he’s gone. It’s hard for me to understand why it’s him who is so deathly ill and not me. Actually, I cried my heart out over him yesterday and again, I am so thankful for my husband still being here with me.
Thank you again for posting your feelings here.
Best wishes,
Dawn
Thanks for sharing Dawn. I’m sure you’re a wonderful grandmother.
I know seeing others go through such difficulty provokes the “why” questions. At least it does for me.
I take comfort knowing that there is a why because there’s a Who.
Wow,
At a time in my life that I so needed to read this, there it was. I have been down a rocky road full of sharp edges in the past few weeks that was of my own making. And down this road I have wondered where God was, was He still loving me, did He no longer want me for the things I had done? Like your girl, I don’t have the concept of grace down. And it may be a long time coming, but every day since my mess happened, God is placing things in front of me, like this blog article to show me, to help me along and to take away some of those rough edges. Healing will take time for all of those I hurt, but God will still be here, holding my hand and letting me know I’m not alone. Together we will march around Jericho.
Anonymous (if that is your real name) I’m glad this post resonated with you.
I have no idea what your mess is, but I can tell you that nothing is beyond God and his grace. Are there consequences for the things we do? You bet. Does God love us any less though? Nope. He loves us just as we are and even loves us enough not to leave us there.
Following Jesus is a series of next steps. Take the next step.