Love and Broken-Heartedness

"If it doesn't break your heart, it isn't love."

I heard this in a song the other day.
It reminded me of this C.S. Lewis quote about love:

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

I consider that if my heart is broken over something, that perhaps there is love involved. Depending on the object of my affection (conscious or sub-conscious), this broken-heartedness can be good or bad. (Fruitful or destructive?)

We say that love is more than a feeling. I agree. It moves into action. It is often represented by action, seemingly alone.

I would wonder then if broken-heartedness is likewise more than a feeling. I believe it moves into action, and is often represented by action, seemingly alone.

Broken-heartedness and love can go hand in hand.

After all, this is how He so willingly and completely embraces us in spite of how deeply we have broken His heart. 

And so, walking in His footsteps, we can learn to so willingly and completely embrace others in spite of how deeply they have broken our hearts. 

A misconception in missions work is that it is love for the people that drives missionaries on. But missionaries who have been there know better (and others like myself have learned from their testimonies). It is not love for the people that keeps a missionary on the field, but love for Christ~ and obedience to HIM, because of HIS perfect love and longing for them. Our emotion of love will fade. Even our action of love or action of our our broken-heartedness for their lost state will draw up insufficient. Why? Because that is our own effort. We can do nothing but look upon Him. And after all, what a relief! For HE will build His Church. What an immense joy and privilege to be a part of His plan! For He takes me in my insufficiencies and my weaknesses, and He speaks clearly in spite of my stammering lips, and He serves boldly in spite of my trembling hands.

May He love. Again and again. Even through my "not-enough-ness."