“Ouch!” I loudly exclaimed after accidentally thumping my hand on the doorframe. Gideon, who was playing close by, looked up and quietly said, “sometimes I say ‘ouch’ too when I see you get hurt, and wish I could fix it.”

I don’t have words to describe the level of warm and fuzzy I felt for him in that moment. He is always empathetic when he sees someone hurting. It’s truly endearing. Something special happens in a caregiver’s heart when those they care for, without coercion, express genuine compassion and empathy for their personal wellbeing.

Then my eyes got all watery as I thought of our Father whose heart aches for His lost and hurting kids. How does He feel when He finds someone who’s willing to lay aside their interests, distractions, plans, comfort, amusements, aspirations, fears, or doubts in order to accept His invitation to embrace His heart for the lost and broken?

One doesn’t have to go across the globe to embrace His heart. It’s all around us. It’s in our spouse, our kids, our coworkers, our parents, our neighbors, the strangely slow fast-food worker, the cashier lady who never smiles, the UPS guy with the sad countenance, and, dare I say, murderers, ISIS members, mass shooters, child abusers, the CEO of Planned Parenthood, and Kim Jong Yun. His heart is for everyone, wherever we are and no matter what we’ve done or haven’t done. I’m finding that accepting the invitation to embrace His heart isn’t a burden or stressful, rather it relieves burden and reduces stress.

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

When I evaluate my own burdens that are hindering me from embracing His heart, I usually find it’s a self-imposed burden. Either a negative burden of fear, doubt, etc., or something we would consider a positive burden such as gaining provision for our family or the future. We can’t fully embrace someone if we’re carrying a burden, even if it’s a good burden.

Picture this: You are invited to a friend’s home to share a meal. You bring a casserole, or if you’re Jared, some decadent dessert. As the host meets you at the door, they take the food from you to place it on the buffet and then you are able to hug and greet properly. (And if you’re not the hugging type, it sucks to be you, because this is the south and, dadgummit, we hug. Well, maybe not me personally, but most southerners do the hugging thing. I digress.) I see it the same way with Father God. He invites us into His plan and we bring our aspirations, dreams, gifts, and even problems to share, but He requires us to give them to Him so that we can fully embrace Him. Sometimes He gives it back so we can share it with others and other times, He holds it in reserve for the right time.

I’ll be honest, when we first started in missions back in 2011, I had glamorous notions of what life would be like “on the field in Uganda.” Now that we have been on several mission trips and have built relationships with other folks with an affinity for mission culture, (because remnants of Christmas still hang in the air, I feel that I can make ELF references) I have a healthier idea of what it may be like. However, I’m still excited. My heart quakes with fear and anticipation, but I’m still excited. It’s not about me, Jared, or our kids. It’s about knowing and embracing Him more fully.

So all that to say, what can you let go in your life that will allow you to embrace His heart and know Him more fully in 2018?

-Kimberly