Lent -- Day 7 of 40 (The hearts and songs about it)

The heart…

 

The heart has been on my mind over the last few weeks and months.

The heart that is the literal life blood of our bodies.

The heart defines who we are and who we will become, depending on how much of it we have.

The heart where the Holy Spirit lives in us.

The heart that we love Jesus with (our whole one).

The little hearts that we can feel beating as we hold them in our arms (pretty close to heaven right there).

 The big hearts that love bigger than words can describe.

 

As I go through this life, I feel like in each and every situation, that the heart is what it comes back too. The Lord above only knows all the mistakes, mis-speaks, misunderstandings, and mess ups I have made of my life at any and all points in my life. I’ve certainly had my heart broken, and I have what I feel like have been mild heart attacks when my children decide to show out in public or during the last scene (or maybe during the whole entire movie, and I even knew that they got him in the end) of Zero Dark Thirty. And hearts are filled with joy in times of happiness and sadness.  

 But on a much deeper level, I hope people can see my true heart. Even during the years when I wasn’t exactly where I needed to be in my faith (still striving to get closer every day), I know He was/is always there and I hope I had a loving heart. So when I do mess up or misspeak or whatever, people who truly know me, know my heart. My kindreds—they love me even if I mess something up or say something I shouldn’t. Thank God for grace from hearts who love Him and for His grace that He gives me daily.

 Now, I have always said that I am a good judge of character (which might say that I am judgmental, which might be a character flaw, which may in fact be sinful), but I’m saying that to say, I feel like if you look at a person (the way God wants us to) at their heart, you can know their true nature. Some “natures” we have to work a little harder at loving. That’s what God does to make life interesting. Some people’s hearts are hard and we should strive to love them a little bit more because that may be when something really, really special happens. But it all goes back to the heart.

 1 Samuel 16:7 says it perfectly:

 

“The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

 I am going to try to focus on people’s hearts, instead of their outward appearance, and love them from one heart to another. It all goes back to the heart.

 God has really got me zoned in on this subject because it seems like all of my favorite songs right now are about the heart:

 I am obsessed with Casting Crowns “All He everwanted was My heart” – does anybody get through that song without crying (who am I kidding I cry all the time). Thank you Casting Crowns for this beautiful message that simplifies the gospel.

 

But all my deeds and my good name
Are just dirty rags that tear and strain
To cover all my guilty stains
That You already washed away

(‘Cause) All You've ever wanted, all You've ever wanted
All You've ever wanted was my heart
Freedom's arms are open, my chains have all been broken
Relentless love has called me from the start
And all You wanted was my heart

 

And “The Middle ofyour Heart” by Kings and Country will forever be linked to our first trip to Haiti last summer. Because that was where MY heart was forever changed, it was where “it begins, it is where all the worry ends” when we put all that was scary and sad and unjust about the people of Haiti and we focused (yet again) on THEIR hearts, not what they had or didn’t have materially, BUT most importantly what they HAD or didn’t have spiritually. And we really did feel like God was “taking us over the edge” into such an unknown world, but when we stayed focused on Him, His love was MOST CERTAINLY where we landed. And it was broken and beautiful and only God could have made it perfect exactly like it was. Isn’t that just like God? To take what we deem as hopeless and broken and make it lovely. It all goes back to the heart.

 This is where it begins
This is where all the worry ends
This is where I say
I don't need to have control (this is me: I don’t God? Really? Eek!!!)

This is where I admit
I don't know how to handle it
Life in all of its chaos
You are my only hope

Chorus
So take me to the middle of Your heart
Lead me to wherever Your love starts
To a new day dawning
To the place You are
And if You wanna take me over the edge
I'll let You ‘cause You love is where I'll land
Wanna be right where You are
In middle of Your heart

And the reality of “Lord,I need you,” by Matt Maher, hits me every single time I hear it. “Without you I fall apart, You’re the One that guides my Heart.” And I do start to fall apart when I drift away from Him. Just think if I really focused on Him at the beginning of each day, each hour, and each minute. Mighty mighty things…

 Lord, I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You're the One that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

 

Guide my heart down only the paths you chose...

 AMEN and AMEN