When I’m driving down the road, when I sit in the church pew as the words of the sermon wash over me, or when another heartbreaking story makes headlines, I weep with an empathetic heart. I feel all the feels.

You see, I prayed for this broken heart. After putting walls up around my heart to keep it protected and safe from pain, I found myself growing cold. When I should’ve been stirred to the core, I found myself numb.

So I began praying, “God, break my heart for what breaks yours.” And as I continued day after day to say that prayer, Jesus chipped away at that wall I had built.

And when He had chipped away the hardness and numbness, it was replaced with sorrow and deep emotions that wreck me. And I’m so thankful.

Sweet friends, it’s so enticing to want to shy away from pain and broken hearts. To want to keep to ourselves and stay safe in our little worlds.

But how can we effectively be the hands and feet of Christ, when we aren’t loving like Christ. We aren’t weeping with those who are weeping, or rejoicing with those who are rejoicing. We have grown cold for our protection, and we have sacrificed seeing the world as a glimpse through the eyes of Jesus.

Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, yet he was deeply moved and wept with Mary and Martha.

Let’s let Him chip away at our walls and break our hearts for what breaks His.