God, help us

Today, I longed for heaven.

It feels like everywhere I look, people are afflicted--physically, emotionally, mentally, relationally. We are such a broken people--believers and nonbelievers alike. Granted I must believe that it is a different sort of brokenness; some of us have been made alive in Christ. I know this is true despite the suffering and floundering I witness all around.

I glance across the room of Common Cup and find a sweet baby girl in her mother's arms and find myself feeling sorry for her and praying that somehow, by God's amazing grace, that she would be protected from the agony of this world. That she would be raised in joy and peace and happiness and fullness. I know I am praying that she would be raised in a Kingdom where the rightful King sits on the throne and His subjects adore him and delight in obeying His commands. Where people know how to love each other; where people are not so committed to their own protection and well-being that they must miss out on the joys of loving another freely without reserve.

Yet we have good reason to be so invested in our protection, because people are cruel and ignorant and broken. We afflict each other helplessly; we don't know any better. We do the best we know how, and unfortunately, what we know how is pretty pitiful. What a mess.

God, have mercy. I implore you to pour out your Grace in a flood; we desperately need it.