Ephesians 2:10
For we are the product of His hand, heaven's poetry etched on lives, created in the Anointed, Jesus, to accomplish the good works God arranged long ago. (The Voice)
The created heart is never your enemy, but instead is like a building that holds the contents of the real you formed at conception - your authentic and individual self. Your heart comes alive when you are doing what you were created to do, making it silly for you to try to be someone you are not. ~Christa Black Gifford, Heart Made Whole
Take a moment to reflect upon the way you were as a child. What type of personality did you display? What activities did you enjoy the most? Were your interests and passions encouraged, or were they thwarted by those closest to you? As an adult, are you pursuing the things which make your heart sing as a youth, or are you simply going through the motions of living, afraid to follow the passionate path your heart longs to take?
Chances are, if you are not living out the dreams and delights you once treasured as a child, somewhere along the line, you've encountered "heart trauma." As author, Christa Black Gifford, in Chapter Two of her book, Heart Made Whole, describes it: " . . . trauma is any place in your heart where your pain stays greater than your joy."
Ouch! I don't know if that's true for you, but I do know that for too many long-suffering years, this is my story. My people-pleasing obsession, coupled with an overly sensitive nature, forces me to forego the desires of my true heart, the one upon which heaven's poetry is etched, to do, instead, what I perceive as my duty and obligation.
It is a death trap; a whirling vortex spinning me further and further away from the person God has created me to be. My heart is fast becoming my own worst enemy.
Until . . .
The day Jesus touches it.
And I realize, slowly and incrementally, that my life is not about pleasing people, it is about pleasing God. I am made in His image to accomplish the good works He intends for me, and me alone. And the desires of my heart, long denied, begin to grow and flourish beyond even my wildest of dreams.
God mends this broken heart and makes it whole.
As Gifford confirms, "When your heart is made whole, your truest identity joins together with the spiritual reality of who God created you to be."
Amen!
~
For the next seven weeks, I will be joining Jason Stasyszen and Sarah Salter, along with other Christian bloggers, in a discussion of Christ Black Gifford's book, Heart Made Whole - Turning Your Unhealed Pain into Your Greatest Strength. Please join us as we read a chapter a week and post our thoughts every Wednesday.
God bless!
I confess to having that song by the BeeGees going through my mind when I saw your title. LOL Now that is funny! "Here Jesus. Touch my heart."
ReplyDeleteYep, Bill, it's one in the same. May Jesus continue to touch and heal every heart!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Hi Martha! How fun to be in a reading community.
ReplyDeleteI like the thought about having places in the heart where sadness trumps joy. That describes it perfectly. I wonder what I thought of doing as a child? Be a mom? Work at the grocery store?
What I have ended up doing has been more than I could ever ask for. I had a good career as a nurse, a mom. now a Nana, and writer. How blessed I am!
I'll be interested in your Wednesday posts, and your insights on the material you are reading,
Ceil
It sounds like your life has given you much joy and rich rewards, Ceil. How wonderful!
DeleteIf you would like, order the book on Amazon and feel free to join us in this discussion. It is so much fun to see how different people can read the same chapter of a book and come away with impressions just as unique as they are.
Love and blessings!
very thoughtful as always.
ReplyDeleteThank you, sweet Portia!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Duty and obligation are a drag, aren't they, Martha ... especially when they halt the Spirit's movement in our lives, His invitation to something deeper, stronger, more substantial.
ReplyDeleteThanks for shedding some light on the path today ...
Absolutely a drag, Linda, because it so hinders the way the Holy Spirit wants to work in our lives. I find I don't regret the way I used to be because I can see, with great joy, how far the Lord has brought me. Hallelujah!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, I look forward to reading your posts on this book. In some ways, I think that certain things within me were squashed by adults in my life--woe to me for not being who they thought that I should be (or for growing and changing). Now to let Jesus do His healing work within me.
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings!
Amen! Jesus will do the healing work within us when we give Him permission, Kim.
DeleteAnd as I mentioned to Ceil, please feel free to get this book and read/blog right along with us. This is by no means a closed group - the more, the merrier!
Martha, this raises a very interesting topic about broken hearts, healing and wholeness. Here are several things that came to mind as I read your post.
ReplyDeleteThe first one was a quote by Joanna Macy -- "A heart broken open can contain the whole universe."
I also thought about Thich Nhat Hanh talking about cradling our feelings like we cradle a baby. We can soothe our fear and anger and pain like we would soothe a baby.
Chogyam Trungpa talks about the heart of a spiritual warrior as the gentle heart of sadness. He describes this heart as being so sensitive that a feather touching it would burn like fire.
I'm not sure what to make of all these points. My thoughts seem to go around in circles. On one hand, I completely understand about the priority of pleasing God, and the peace and healing that comes from that.
I also understand the concept of a heart that remains open, which then, by definition, remains vulnerable to pain.
Perhaps the answer is that we give that pain to God, as we give all else to God.
Not sure this comment has made a lick of sense, but these were some of my meandering thoughts! I welcome your further insight.
I love your thoughts here, Galen, and I truly appreciate the time you took to leave such a detailed comment!
DeleteAnd yes, just as we give all else to God, we should offer up our pain, too. That way, we can allow our hearts to "break" when they need to, knowing He's got us covered like nothing else. May our first priority always be to please Him!
Love and blessings!
Sounds like a good book and that translation from the Voice is really good too. I heard once to think back what did you want to be when you were 10 - hold the nugget of where God is calling you - may be in a different form but related. Guess what I wanted to be? A writer! God is good.
ReplyDeleteLol, Jean, I wanted to be a writer, too, at that age! And just look what happened? Yes, my friend, God is good beyond description!
DeleteLove and blessings!
I've been thinking about this quite a bit since I read the chapter, and I'm still pondering my personality as a child. I can't seem to fully grasp it, but I know God has something for me there as I seek Him. I love His restoration! Behold, He makes all things new! Thanks so much, Martha.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely a concept worth pondering, Jason, that's for sure. And God does restore us to wholeness, even though for slow learners like me, it can take a LONG time!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Oh my! That is quite a message! I am truly contemplating all that was written there and realizing that I fit the "people pleaser" description as well...but the most important thing for me is to be a Jesus Pleaser...because as you said above, "that I am made in His image to accomplish the good works He intends for me, and me alone. And the desires of my heart, long denied, begin to grow and flourish beyond even my wildest of dreams." I really love this and want to brand this into my heart and mind! THank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Pamela, for your thoughtful and kind comment here. I'm so glad you want to brand your heart and mind with my words - such an honor. I am humbled.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Once a long time ago I wasn't in my skin doing what made me, me. Writing is a passion I've long wanted to pursue. I think many of us go through a phase of discovery, work hard to please others and not themselves or God, but the hope is over their lifetime they find themselves and figure out what they need to do, and do it. Beautifully written, Martha. You nailed the sentiment. As always, thanks for keep us honest.
ReplyDeleteBrenda, thank you for sharing your thoughts - I agree, it can take a long time for us to realize the passion of our hearts and actually follow that passion, which is writing for both of us.
DeleteAnd thanks for the compliments, too, my friend. They mean so much!
Love and blessings!
A broken heart was my gateway to Jesus.My heart may have been broken but has become fully whole and stronger than before. Thank you for this lovely post, Martha and a book I'll have to add to my long list of books that need to be read :)
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