Inviting in brokenness...

Brokenness... it's becoming a friend I can embrace. Sometimes my heart wants to just cry to Jesus "NO MORE BROKENNESS!"
I read a blog post here, and my favorite part of the post says this:
"When we love people, we invite their brokenness and mess into our lives. Mess is inconvenient; it takes our time, energy, and sometimes money to make it better. Despite our efforts, the mess can not be fully containted. It spills over and touches the people who dare to stand near."
That concept can seem so scary. To knowingly invite in brokenness. Isn't that completely against what we've been taught? Everything we do... from Kindergarten upwards... is to ensure you have a "comfortable"... "presentable" life.
Be well educated= go to college= get a good job with lotsa $$$Surround yourself with good upstanding people = so other's don't pull you down*certainly don't go to that side of town* etc...
It's true... "when we LOVE". Well, there it is. Do we really love?
We've found ourselves in the midst of many, many children that we love. And therefore, their mess has come our way. Some messes are:*kids showing up after being chased... and staying for a bit.* Dealing with issues like: pornography, jealousy, and someone said "hyper individualism", poverty mindset, abusive parents, hunger, abandonment, etc. *Crying for and with a mother whose 7 month old baby died of a preventable disease.
Just yesterday, we dropped a sick baby off at the clinic and my 4 year old said "Mom, why do they not go to our doctor?" (we attend the best doctor in town... it's expensive even for us... talk about a life lesson at the age of 4.)
It's kinda messy. It's inconvenient, and it certainly take energy! Often times Satan wants us to believe that it's not worth it... or we aren't making a bit of difference because these issues listed aren't resolving. The mess will never be contained this side of heaven. And their brokenness becomes yours if you dare to stand near.
Now... this isn't something that only Africa provides an opportunity for. Brokenness is everywhere. Are you daring to stand near?
(next post will be Living in the Mess... something we are trying to learn!)