Sharon L. Powell

Deuteronomy 6: 5-6 (NIV)

“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.”

Into the Body: Heart 

The heart is an important open space for God. Sometimes my heart is so full I am unable to talk. I once said in a poem, "I hold my heart in my hand so I can breathe." My heart is a tattletale. It can overflow from the realm of emotion: love, joy, embarrassment, pain, anger…you know the list. Instead of words, I get tears. I find myself in real need of the Holy Spirit who goes to God with groaning on my behalf (Romans 8:26 ). My tears usually make me self conscious; in public, I do a bit of quick wiping at them hoping no one will notice this move, as if they missed the double stream down my face in the first place.

It can be said that we talk and think too much. There can be so much focus on thinking and speaking, yet not enough on feeling. The idea that we should love the Lord with all our heart is mentioned frequently in the Christian bible. If our bodies are temples, then the heart is probably the place for God to take up residence in our bodies. We should really make room and physically feel God's presence in us.

In his book, Space for God, Don Postema compares the writings of Thomas Merton and John Calvin on heart, mind, and prayer. He notes that "...the heart hears, sees, imagines, receives, experiences. And the heart gives the mind insight, sensitivity, and depth." Moving through life, witnesses to so many worldly events that break our hearts, we might consider fixing our hearts on loving God fully. Meditating on this, instead of obsessing on negative thoughts or running our mouths, might keep those commandments mentioned in the Scripture actually inscribed on our hearts.

Prayer 

Magnificent Creator God, forgive us our ingratitude. We thank You for heartbeats, the evidence of Your grace and mercy. Please renew us with each beat of our thirsty heart, in the name above all names, Our Savior, Jesus the Christ, we pray and say Amen, Amen and Amen.

Thought for the day 

With my hand on my heart, feeling my heartbeat keeps me in time with God.