taking care of my heart

God has been talking to me this week about taking care of my heart...physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  The hard things of life have taken their toll on my heart lately.  It is wounded and battered and bruised.  One of my Impact Church family said to me on Sunday, "Dawn, you've got to guard your heart."  And I've been praying about what that looks like for me.

I went for a run today.  That's good for my heart physically and emotionally and spiritually!  I listen to God best when I run...no distractions except the cracks in the sidewalk.  I asked Him how to guard my heart and He gave me 2 answers:

1.  God said, "Your heart is not defective.  It is fearfully and wonderfully made."  You may be wondering why God didn't answer my question.  Oh, but He did in a way that made me smile!  And He spoke to the physical and emotional well being of my heart. 
I was born with a mitral valve heart murmur and I've spent lots of time with cardiologists.  The heart murmur has never caused physical limitations, but I've always thought of my anatomical heart as defective.
I've been told many times in my life, "You are too sensitive.  You take things too personally.  You wear your heart on your sleeve."  What my heart heard was, "You are defective."  As if openness and honesty and being real are faults.  Yikes!
So, what God said to me makes perfect sense and gave me great joy!  Not only is my heart not defective, it is fearfully and wonderfully made!  💖

2.  God said, "Your heart is already protected.  I provided the protection.  Think about where it is."  God knows me so well!  I immediately pictured the heart surrounded by its own serous membrane to protect it from infection. It is situated between the lungs, and inside the ribs, layers of muscle, and skin.  The heart is situated perfectly protected, and yet blood flows through it.
God said, "Leave your heart in there.  Don't hold it out to people who aren't going to treat it well."  Perfectly protected, but love can still flow through it.  I've spent my whole life trying to figure that out and assuming that the trade off to being open and loving was getting hurt.  I'm so grateful God showed me the truth!

The Bible speaks truth about the heart:
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.  (Proverbs 4:23)
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks.  (Luke 6:45)

I could tell from the words coming out of my mouth in the last week that the overflow of my heart was not Jesus.  I pray that God will heal the wounds in my heart.  I pray for my heart to be filled up with Jesus.  I pray that the words out of my mouth would be words of life, love, joy, peace, and encouragement.  If my heart is overflowing with Jesus, Jesus and His love will come out of me. 

My priorities are changing.  I am taking care of my heart again...physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  And I am trusting God to guard it in His perfect way!