The Heart of the Matter

My niece, Addison, is a really, really cute little girl.  I don't just say that because I am her aunt. Objectively, she is an attractive child.  So attractive, in fact, that when she is out and about with my sister she is often stopped and told what a pretty little girl she is.  This very thing happened, yet again, the other day at church.  A man stopped and told her, "You are the prettiest little girl I have ever seen."  My sister later relayed to me that she decided to "use" this incident as a teachable moment for Addison.

"You know, Addison, it is nice to be pretty on the outside, but it is more important to be pretty on the inside.  Jesus cares more about our inside and how nice and kind we are to others."

Addison responded, "Well, I will do all those things but I like being the prettiest too!"  At this point, my nephew, Eli, chimed in, "Well, I'm going to be the richest and Addison won't be!"

Obviously, these two have some things to learn or they are going to grow up with aspirations of being reality TV stars!  Fortunately, they are only 3 and 4 years old.  A lot of people still have being pretty or rich as their main objective when they are 50 or 60.

I was out of commission over the weekend with some type of stomach bug.  It was rough.  But, I did have a lot of time to lay in bed and think in between my medically-induced bouts of sleep.    I started thinking about that story my sister told me and I was thinking about Valentine's Day and hearts and love...my mind was all over the place.  Let's see if I can string together some of my streams of consciousness into meaningful thought.

I began to think about that statement my sister made to Addison and how profound it really was in the grand scheme of life.  It really is about our heart and not so much the outward things on which we place so much value.

I was immediately reminded of 1 Samuel 16:7 where it says "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

It really is about the heart of the matter.  I was reminded of what Jesus says in Matthew 12:34, "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks."

Again, Proverbs 4:23 tells us, "Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life."

I began to think how much I wished these truths to be impressed upon Addison's heart as she grew into a young woman.  How do you do that?  Then, there was a shift in my thinking.  Not in a prideful way at all, but I became amazed at how these scriptures came so easily to my mind (not the references, mind you, just the "words" themselves).  No doubt, these reminders were a function of the Holy Spirit bringing them to mind.  But, they were also a result of these truths being hidden deep in my heart somewhere along the way.

I was reminded of my MamaTed having me stand on the hearth of her fireplace and recite the 66 books of the Bible aloud.  I would watch myself in the mirror across the family room and begin with Genesis and go faster and faster from there. It was laying the foundation.

Then my mind went to each spring.  My youth group began planning for the summer ahead at church camp.  Our church offered the opportunity to earn a "camp scholarship" by getting the signatures of all the Elders, bringing our Bibles to church, scripture memorization, etc.  It was an "honor system" between us and our parents when it came to the memory verses.  We were to recite the verses to them and they would sign off that we had, indeed, learned the verse.  All  these points accumulated toward earning a full paid registration to camp that summer.

You would have to know my mother to appreciate this fact.  But, a lot of parents probably half-heartedly signed off if their kid got even remotely close to the basic intent of a scripture. Not my mom.  She didn't give hints, she wouldn't give you the first letter of the next word...nothing.  You better come to her with your "A" game and have that scripture memorized front ways and back or you weren't getting her initials on that camp scholarship form.  She'd send you back to your room to work on it some more and come back when you had it perfect!

Little did I know at the time - I thought I was earning my way to a week of sleeping in a dorm full of bunk beds with my friends and sitting with boys around a campfire - but, the Word was being hidden in my heart.  It was hidden deep within my heart and these Words come to mind at the most amazing times...sometimes during stomach bugs and funny stories about my niece.

So, as I pondered all these things with my fever-induced rambling thoughts, I became really challenged.  How long has it been since I consciously worked at hiding the Word in my heart.  Yes, I can bring a lot of scripture to mind already...but, what if I could retain even more?  What if I made a commitment right now, as my girls can't even string two words together yet, to make sure that the Word is hidden deep in their heart?  What are some really practical ways to do that with them as they get older?

Just some of the things on my "heart" this Valentine's Day.

P.S.  Some "lighter" posts coming up with some fun projects I've been working on...I promise!