Heavy Hearted

Lately I have been really heavy hearted.  There are many things to which my heavy heart is attributed to.  I found out this evening about a neighbor's daughter who struggles with an addiction to heroin.  This week I also found out about another neighbor who is a single mom and struggles to make ends meet, sometimes going without heat for extended periods of time.  I watch what people post on Facebook about their relationships and broken hearts.  I can hear despair and depression in voices of some of those I dearly love as they too face health issues and hard times.  I feel guilty for trucking through life status quo.  I feel guilty for not having a clue as to those right around me  I feel guilty for having so much extra that isn't necessary.  People are hurt and broken all around us...  People often wonder if God is so loving why do bad things happen?  Can't we see it is because of sin in this world?  We, as humans, are constantly in this battle against God for control.  How can our finite minds understand or comprehend His purposes?   I believe in His soveriegnty and yet I also believe in man's ability to constantly screw it up in the trappings of sin.  All we can think about is ourselves...and then when it doesn't go our way we get mad, through a fit, and then question God?  That is like a child making a known wrong decision, having to suffer consequences, and then getting mad and blaming his parents.  Would you, as a parent, stand for that?  I am not in anyway suggesting that those who are hurting and broken are terrible, bad people.  My point is that their circumstances or consequences will either drive them closer to their Creator or unfortunately further away.  My responsibility in this is to show LOVE and COMPASSION, to hopefully be an instrument in drawing them nearer to the heart of the Lord.  Have I done this?  Or have I been guilty of living in my own corner of the world?  Thus....my heavy heart!  As I continue to think and ponder on these things, I will write.