Sin-Soaked Heart

Good morning family. My message today is focused on a song by Jars of Clay called"Worlds Apart". I have posted the lyrics below as well as a link to an acoustic version on YouTube:

I am the only one to blame for this 

Somehow it all adds up the same 

Soaring on the wings of selfish pride 

I flew too high and like Icarus I collide 

With a world I try so hard to leave behind 

To rid myself of all but love 

to give and die 

To turn away and not become 

Another nail to pierce the skin of one who loves 

more deeply than the oceans, 

more abundant than the tear 

Of a world embracing every heartache 

Can I be the one to sacrifice 

Or grip the spear and watch the blood and water flow 

To love you - take my world apart 

To need you - I am on my knees 

To love you - take my world apart 

To need you - broken on my knees 

All said and done I stand alone 

Amongst remains of a life I should not own 

It takes all I am to believe 

In the mercy that covers me 

Did you really have to die for me? 

All I am for all you are 

Because what I need and what I believe are worlds apart 

I look beyond the empty cross 

forgetting what my life has cost 

and wipe away the crimson stains 

and dull the nails that still remain 

More and more I need you now, 

I owe you more each passing hour 

the battle between grace and pride 

I gave up not so long ago 

So steal my heart and take the pain 

and wash the feet and cleanse my pride 

take the selfish, take the weak, 

and all the things I cannot hide 

take the beauty, take my tears 

the sin-soaked heart and make it yours 

take my world all apart 

take it now, take it now 

and serve the ones that I despise 

speak the words I can't deny 

watch the world I used to love 

fall to dust and thrown away 

I look beyond the empty cross 

forgetting what my life has cost 

so wipe away the crimson stains 

and dull the nails that still remain 

so steal my heart and take the pain 

take the selfish, take the weak 

and all the things I cannot hide 

take the beauty, take my tears 

take my world apart, take my world apart 

I pray, I pray, I pray 

take my world apart 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zpo7KJ1q1o&list=FLPungx4WGUlKv3Nhi9xQqFQ&index=5&feature=plpp_video

This is by far one of my favorite songs that is not a hymn or church song. It is touching and moving and reminds me of the sacrifice of our Savior and my role in taking advantage of that sacrifice. Like Jenn's message yesterday is a reminder of the atonement. I hope you all take some time to read the lyrics and listen to the song and the emotions it evokes. This is one that makes me cry when I hear it and I have heard it hundreds and hundreds of times. The breakdown at the end of the song is very powerful to me. When he says: 

So steal my heart and take the pain 

and wash the feet and cleanse my pride 

take the selfish, take the weak, 

and all the things I cannot hide 

take the beauty, take my tears 

the sin-soaked heart and make it yours 

take my world all apart 

take it now, take it now 

There are similar lyrics in a song by Afterglow called "The Touch of the Master's Hand" that state the following:

For many a life scarred and battered with sin

can find a great change, like the old violin,

When our eyes are opened, our hearts touched from within

by the touch of the Master’s hand.

Each of us has our own demons we deal with, but each of us also has the Atonement and sacrifice of our Savior to help us battle those demons and cleanse our "sin-soaked hearts". We have our Heavenly Father to lean on through the power of prayer. We have been given families as well to help us through our difficult times and lean on for support. I encourage us all to take full advantage of the different avenues we have to help in our times of struggle so we can all be together forever.

I love you all!

Love, Ryan