Always Keep Your Heart

During my last day in Vegas, I had this idea about something while I was in the shower. It dealt with insecurity, but it was in thinking about the way that we connect (or don’t connect) with others.

I’ve been kicking around this idea about using video on the blog. If this turned into that kind of message I wanted to use the visual of gears, like two wheels of teeth, to support what I had to say. But I would need pretty big gears for someone to see it in video or in pictures on social media.

I bet Vegas would be the best place to find some. I had a little time that morning and wondered if I found them, would I be able to squeeze in a visit before the airport.

I found this amazing 5’ tall heart statue in an article from 2012. It was part of a ‘Hearts of Las Vegas’ exhibit and placed in front of a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by a partnership with GES, Global Experience Specialists, and the city of Las Vegas.

I called the research center, but they had never heard of it. The kind lady that answered the phone offered to check around and call me back. I emailed her the link that I’d found in case it helped.

Unfortunately, Annette didn’t know its whereabouts, but she was able to get the artists name, Dale Mathis, which I thanked her for and returned to my searching. He had an entire Kinetic art studio a few miles from my hotel. All of the pieces seemed related to time or containing ‘moving’ pieces. I loved it. My heart leapt. I said a prayer and I had hoped...

From what I could tell on the site, it looked like just the kind of place I’d like to check out. The website said we could visit ‘by appointment.’ I quickly dialed the number, but it was no longer working.

I later found another number to the studio, but by then I was just too close on time. I needed to head to the airport. So, I didn’t leave a message. It’s definitely on my list for next time, if I get to head that way again.

But anyway, back to the reason, I wanted the gears in the first place….

I can’t speak for everyone, but I can say that many of us (sometimes self-included) come against situations, experiences, and people. We try to keep things ‘cool’. This doesn’t always have to be about arguing either. Sure, it could be ‘peacekeeping’ when someone’s angry. But what about the really weird stuff that you think to yourself- perhaps a new idea? What’s that fear? Where are you stressing?  What’s something that you want but don’t know how to say or ask for? For a litany of reasons we often end up keeping to ourselves; ‘staying strong’ or ‘smooth,’ not wanting to ruffle feathers by our insertions.

The sculpture includes working gears.

Yet, we are made to protrude into the world and to receive from it. In the same way with gears, when those points and openings come together. Both sides receive something – they are being filled, while filling. There is a synergy in the connection that ‘stimulates’ and causes ‘movement’ as a result of those parts interacting.

Whether it’s what you put out or what you are willing to accept from the world around you; all too often in life we settle for skimming and wonder why we feel like something is missing. –Maybe we even feel like we’re spinning wheels. But by engaging yourself with the components of life; it’s the coming together that creates traction.

I couldn’t help but find the irony in that when I found the piece that I wanted to use for this image; it resides in the statue of a heart.

How incredibly DIVINE that is!

Let me explain.

For several years my life verse has been an NIV translation of Proverbs 4:23 ‘Above all else, always GUARD your heart for all you do flows from it.’  Tonight, I intentionally sought out other verses regarding the heart because ‘guarding it’ is often what gets us into trouble. –At least where it comes in to play for this kind of message.

But I was amazed at how I came back to so many perfect variations of the same line in other translations.

The ESV says ‘KEEP your heart will all vigilance, for from it flows the SPRINGS of life.’

I think that translation couldn’t be more perfect. KEEP your weirdness. KEEP your dreams and stay curious about things if for no other reason than being curious. No matter what anyone else thinks or says!

The NLT says it is your heart that ‘DETERMINES the course of your life.’ So instead of trying to stay strong and keep resolve, by following its nudges and those curiosities or vulnerabilities, it may lead you to different translations of your dreams.

Create boundaries and learn to KEEP them. Use your words and actions to KEEP your honor and integrity. You must ‘insert’ and ‘apply’ little pieces of yourself to make each of those things happen. Don’t lose your voice!

Now, I’m starting to get farther from my point but hang with me another minute.

The NAS says ‘WATCH your heart.’ You don’t have to follow every feeling, but we can watch it. Some of us need to completely detach from our mind to check-in here. It is only when we can silence the shouting ‘judgments and fears’ of the head that we can finally hear the whispers of the heart. After all, it’s the minds crazy idea that ‘being ourselves’ is always going to produce conflict.

H e l l o …. Who else were we created to be???

Whether it’s feelings, dreams, words, requests or decisions, our God made a great number of ways to communicate with and through us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We can study them quietly and even journal about it by watching. It will take you a little practice to sort those voices. They ARE different.

-And when you step out, you’ll get it wrong many times. Other times it may seem like the effort was for nothing. BUT, like all of your other muscles, that exercise will produce stronger results. Some call this intuition. And just between friends, it’s amazing how much FEAR wraps itself around this incredible signal of the heart. –Often a queue if there is fear, that may be the very place you need to make your next move.

Like my interest in finding gears for this example; sometimes where those promptings take you, turns out better than what you envisioned for yourself in the first place.

And with every practice, that ‘insecurity’ lessens. I promise.

In that same way by NOT ‘keeping the flow,’ things get hung; that spring becomes dammed and stagnant. We all know what happens to water that stops moving. It builds bacteria and contaminates everything in the body. It can KILL things. Likewise, hiding yourself creates this separate version of you beneath the surface. Sometimes it becomes toxic to everything in it or around it, and you don’t even notice because you’re immune. It’s still a part of you but buried and disconnected.

Also, procrastination steals opportunity. And that God that made your heart, also promised you dreams and a future. But it will require your faith, action, and HONESTY to obtain it. Delayed obedience is disobedience.

Whatever imprint you make on the world by putting yourself out there, I assure you that God has created ‘pieces’ that aren’t just receptive but they ‘FIT’ and ‘FILL’ the parts of your heart that he plans to use. He will replace and/or multiply anything that was lost or given. Keep at it!

True yes, sometimes the things that move don’t go the direction that you think they will or even want them to. People and things will fall away, and others will come in. You WON’T always do it right or without friction or pain.

But KEEP true to yourself, that’s where the ‘springs of life’ are. If you’re feeling stuck or stagnant, it may be YOUR movement (and contribution) that’s missing.

When you are truly working from the space of your heart, it is golden. You’re at your truest form, embodying the power of God, and some call this ‘alignment.’ You might find that it is also the place of redemption and the acceptance that you’ve always been looking for — that of your own.

There is a God who freely gives but no one else can believe it or put it into practice for you. Nor can anyone else attain what is only waiting for you.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be dismayed. Your God is WITH YOU wherever you may go. - Joshua 1:9

Now to Him who is able to do FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY BEYOND all that we ask or think according to the power that works WITHIN US, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. – Ephesians 3:20-22