This week has been a hard week for me to process and live through. I live in Orlando Florida. I have only been back in the states for a month. I followed Christina Grimmie on Youtube. I have many LGBTQ friends. I used to work at Disney as a lifeguard. 51 deaths, 53 injured…all could have been avoided.
There is so much hate going around for all the events that have happened. There is blame, shame, and pain. My heart is broken..not just for the fact that this happened so close to home, but also because of everything that is evil. I am ready for Christ to return and evil to be defeated once and for all.
I know this is a great learning experience and God is definitely preparing my heart for the race next year..(in 6 months). What really sticks out to me is that all of these people were people. They all were affected in a way that changed lives forever. There is a community who needs to be loved on not just in this time, but always. Yes they may have a different lifestyle than me, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to be loved like me. At the end of the day people want to be loved like people should. I was at a prayer service that my church held. There was a pastor there that stated that he wasn’t sure how or what to pray because he was not familiar with community. He asked someone to come speak on behalf of the LGBTQ community and tell us how and what we can pray for. The speaker quoted a verse that has really stuck out to me since then. It is one we all know. John 3. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believed in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Now, there is a part that she pointed out…”that whoever believes” is in red without an asterix. It doesn’t say whoever is: white, black, gay, straight, American, Greek, (fill in the blank)…it simply says whoever believes….that goes for all people.
Something that we are hash-tagging right now is #loveorlando, #orlandostrong, #orlandounited…all of those come with one thing, love. One of my biggest lessons learned while in Korea was to love others no matter what. I thought I had done a good job with this one to begin with, but God really grew my heart for people while overseas. My best friend and my other close friends were Atheist and agnostic. I have not really had a lot of experience with people who believe this way. It took a bit of work to understand but at the end of the day, I just simply loved them. My life is different for having met them and them be a part of my life now. I fully believe that you can people how you’re different simply based on how you love them. Jesus came to the earth and sat with sinners and loved them despite the differences. The greatest command is to love.
I heard a song yesterday that I have been playing nonstop because it echos my heart right now. I will list the lyrics below.
Tell My Heart To Beat Again.
By Danny Gokey
You’re shattered
Like you’ve never been before
The life you knew
In a thousand pieces on the floor
And words fall short in times like these
When this world drives you to your knees
You think you’re never gonna get back
To the you that used to be
Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away
Step into the light of grace
Yesterday’s a closing door
You don’t live there anymore
Say goodbye to where you’ve been
And tell your heart to beat again
Beginning
Just let that word wash over you
It’s alright now
Love’s healing hands have pulled you through
So get back up, take step one
Leave the darkness, feel the sun
Cause your story’s far from over
And your journey’s just begun
Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away
Step into the light of grace
Yesterday’s a closing door
You don’t live there anymore
Say goodbye to where you’ve been
And tell your heart to beat again
Let every heartbreak
And every scar
Be a picture that reminds you
Who has carried you this far
‘Cause love sees farther than you ever could
In this moment heaven’s working
Everything for your good
Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away
Step into the light of grace
Yesterday’s a closing door
You don’t live there anymore
Say goodbye to where you’ve been
And tell your heart to beat again
Your heart to beat again
Beat again
Oh, so tell your heart to beat again
