Just Because They Breathe

I get a ton of emails and Facebook messages from people I've never met (because of this blog and the Ears Wide Open? video), and I probably never will meet them ... unless perhaps I see them in heaven one day, providing, of course, that God lets me in when I kick the bucket. Sometimes the notes I receive are sweet and funny ... sometimes they are heart-breaking and sad ... sometimes they are encouraging and supportive ... sometimes they are mean-spirited and judgmental ... sometimes they are long and wordy ... sometimes they are so short that I'm left wishing the person had written more. Oftentimes, I get an email like I did last night with a link to another blog that the sender of the note would like for me to read. That's what happened last night ... I got an email with a link to another blog ... more specifically, the link was to a post in the blog from earlier this year. A post so powerful that I think I may forever remember the words ... words that caused me to sob as I read them. I'll give you the link, but before you click on it, there are a couple of things I want to say.

It's sort of a post within a post in that the blogger writes some words of her own and then, with the permission of the author, posts the words written by the other writer ... sort of like when I have a guest blogger who pens a post for me. As I said, the post is powerful ... incredibly powerful ... but it also deals with a subject that some of you will consider to be controversial in nature. If you choose to read it (and yes, you do have the choice to read it or not), I would simply ask that you try ... try really, really hard ... to read it through the heart of the mother who wrote it.

My prayer since I read the post last night ... and hopefully, it will be my prayer for the rest of my days here on this earth is this ...

Please give me the heart that loves Matt, Becca, C.J., Brad, Shelby, Meghann and Barrett ... just because they breathe, God. Give me the heart that loves my extended family ... just because they breathe. Give me the heart that loves my friends ... just because they breathe. Give me the heart that loves those who consider themselves to be my enemies, Father ... just because they breathe. Give me the heart that loves the weak, the rich, the lonely, the powerful, the outcast, the strong ... just because they breathe. Please give me the heart that loves people, Lord ... please, oh, please give me the heart that loves all people, Lord ... just because they breathe. Unconditionally ... no ifs ... no buts ... no nothing ... just because they breathe.

Click here to read the blog FreedHearts. And grab a tissue. You'll need it.