A heart?

Just got back from a night out with my family and I thought I would share something that happened to me.

Its not something that other people saw or even really did. It happened on the inside, I realized something, it hit me, and I am thankful.

I was saying goodbye to my family and there was the hustle and bustle of all these people around us at the theater. My brother in law was trying to get my cousin on a racing arcade game, my sisters were tending to my little run around niece. The lights of mini arcade around, and people laugh and talking, just young people and families like us.

Then I noticed something, out of the corner of my eye, a girl puts her arms around a boy and bumps up to him, just a display of affection. But as I came next to my family, I noticed the girl and boy were young, maybe just starting high school. The girl was all over him and thoughts came. Not of contempt, or displeasure because they are way to young for that, but what I felt was pity.

Why pity? I looked at that boy maybe, 15 or 14 and I saw myself. I looked at the girl and I saw those girls I  tried so hard to care for but in the end I couldn't muster real love that was void of self. I  looked at this young, obviously premature relationship, and saw my mistakes.

But now seeing this young girl, she was excited. To have a boy to hold her was probably something she longed for. She must soak in the affection words he tells her. She dressed to impress the boy, showing off a little, just a tease to make sure his attention was on her. This girl will end up hurt like the many others before if something doesn't happen.

I turned my gaze away after the glance, burdened with frustration at my past, at society, at sin.

I walked out to my car across the wet parking lot, a little cold. A car waves me to go across ahead of them. I get to my door, open it and sit.

"Calm down" I tell myself. "What am I feeling" as I sense this strange unfamiliar feeling.

Why don't I despise that boy for using that girl. Why don't I look down on her for dressing so immodestly.

I search myself, and I don't see the contempt and condemnation.

 I feel for that girl, I feel sorry for her, I pity her, I love her and want a better life for this young soul.

This burden is not mine, this pity is foreign to me, do I really care? I can't remember caring before...

"Could it be possible that I finally have a heart?" I thought to myself.

It hit me, and I started to cry. I recognized that this is how the God of Heaven and Earth has felt about this girl, and frankly each girl that is out there. He longs to intervene and explain the better way.

I am proof of that. I was once that boy with a girl on his arm. And I can't change the past, but I can change the future thanks to God rescuing me.

God saved me, He can save them, He can save you.

Love is doing His job.

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (I John 4:16)

Pray right now for this young couple. For the girls whose hearts are broken, and for the boys who regret the pain they cause.

God will save the world.