IAT for Brokenness

IAT = I am thankful

He gives beauty for ashes, strength for fear;

Gladness for mourning, and peace for despair.

Based on Isaiah 61:3

So, this morning, on my walk, I thought I'd just listen to music. I usually listen to a favorite book or Philosopher's Notes. Hillary Weeks happened to be ready to go on the ipod. I was listening to her on our way home last night, because my family was listening to comedy and I couldn't read a novel. So, I know her music well enough that I could ignore it and still read my novel. :-) So, this morning I was overcome with the beauty of the desert, the serenity of my walk, and the beautiful strains of music coming through the headphones.

I wish I had every Hillary Weeks album. This one is called Lead Me Home and I've practically worn it out. Most of the songs are amazing. And I love her alto voice. As I listened to the heart felt words and notes, my heart was overwhelmed with gratitude for the times I have been broken. That may seem kind of weird. But my brokenness has brought me to humility, divinity, and grace.

I'm a pretty independent kind of gal. Even when I should be praying for strength, I often think, "ah, no problem, I can handle it." That often leads to trouble. Until my heart is broken. Then when I turn to Him, the Master Carpenter can take my broken heart and mend it. There's an amazing talk I love by Elder Holland called Broken Things to Mend. How grateful I am that when I have suffered from grief, loss, abuse, betrayal, depression, discouragement, or any other situation where I might have felt hopeless, that I can turn to the One who knows all these things and has suffered them for me, (not just sin, but sorrow) so that I might not walk alone. As I tell a friend frequently, when you are walking with God, you never walk alone. Here's the awesome lyrics to When My Heart Was Broken, written by Hillary Weeks and Doug Pincock.


I pray to the air
Faithless, unbelieving.
Lost in despair
The darkness deceiving
But I held on
My pride too strong
I needed His love to show me

And then my heart was broken
And my eyes were opened
I could feel His arms around me
I could feel His love surround me
Oh, and I felt His grace
And I will praise His name
I lived for so long without knowing
I didn't care where I was going
Until my heart was broken

I knew when I knelt
I knew from that moment
How good it felt
Letting go of my soul and
Trusting Him
He took my sins
I gave them all up to know Him

Chorus

Oh and I feel His grace
And I will praise His name
I lived for so long without knowing
And I didn't care where I was going
Until my heart was broken.

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