William McDowell- Give Us Your Heart
Wow. I do not think I have heard a song more apt for this exact point in my life. I feel like Mr. McDowell just transcribed my soul. (What is this office’s policy on crying…ok, wailing then…at work, I wonder…hmmmm). This is the new soundtrack to my life, *ejects ‘Theme Song to Rocky Balboa’ cd*.
I’m so inspired.
“Break our hearts, for the things that break yours…”
“Fill us up and send us out….”
“I don’t want to get to heaven with my life all full. Full of visions unrealised, full of dreams unrealised, with no strategy given. Full of songs, full of businesses that could have changed the world but I held on to them because I got comfortable and I got complacent. But when I get to heaven, I want to hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant” because I know that I have done everything that I’m supposed to do…..”
“We can change the world……..”
“This is the generation of world changers. We are God’s change agents in the world…..”
“This is THE generation, We are the generation. We are not powerless…..”
“If nothing changes with us, nothing changes….”
“God in us is the majority…..”
This song made me remember something that was said in church (www.thewaterbrookchurch.org) once when Pastor Moses was preaching on Evangelism. He said one reason many of us do not evangelise is because we lack empathy for others. We don’t really understand the suffering of other people, we can’t really relate and so we don’t care; their reality is so detached from ours. But who can blame us though?
I work really hard and I truly believe in enjoying the fruits of my diligent labour. I am like most people, my mind set is ordinarily, largely focused on self-aggrandizement. But the world I am bringing my children into is DYING. This is why we have to ask for God’s heart…a heart that loves and loves and loves, regardless. A heart that cuts through defensiveness, pain, hurt, fear, bullying, addiction, humiliation, rejection, with persistence and an unrelenting determination to love regardless, and reaches out to dying people. We will not all be called to the slums of Calcutta or even to our neighbourhood ghettos to make a change. Why? Because, there are too many people around us that need our help as it is.
What fascinates me the most, is that a lot of the help we can render is not even found in the big things, it’s in the simpler things. I am amazed by how vulnerable the human spirit actually is. Angry men, shrewlike women, rebellious teenagers and surly kids often respond surprisingly well to a heartfelt hug or a genuine “I was just checking on you to see how you are.” A lot of people need more than money and we have a lot more than money to offer. We have kindness, generosity, politeness, our skill, our knowledge, our exposure and experiences of the world, a little attention, a little friendship, a little time…this is what many people need.
I planned to just post a video and exit stage left, yet here I am waxing lyrical. *Sigh*. William McDowell’s album ‘Arise’, is unarguably, wholly inspired by God. Many thanks to my friend, Ire (Executive Member, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), for introducing me to William McDowell!
P.S: God, I am grateful that you have surrounded me with true Christian men and women to call my friends. You know that there are few things harder than walking a lonely Christian…hahaha who am I lying to…??…you know that for a person like me, walking alone as a Christian would be beyond hellish, I would be so confused and lost and would fall too many times, and so you populated my life with godly people full of character, faith and strength, to journey along with me. I thank you. 🙂
Oh Wendelyn! 