Keep your heart with all diligence,
for out of it spring the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:23
May 17, 2024
Have you said that? You know what it means if you have said it. You feel like your cup of frustration is running over, when you get that text, that question from a co-worker, that old picture come up in your memories. And you think or maybe even say it… “not today.” As if any other day would be better, but sometimes dates on a calendar hold much more meaning than others. Today is that day for me. Today was my wedding anniversary date, but today is very different than it has been in the last 4 years. I feel hopeful. I see both the clouds and the sun. I have been challenged and I sense that today…I am ready.
The way I feel today has a lot to do with what happened yesterday. Yesterday, I spent time with a life coach/pastor at a church in Lubbock. Understanding how to care for my heart. The foundation of this “heart” therapy is from the scripture found in the Bible, Proverbs 4:23. Other translations say to “guard your heart”. I will get into more of what happened later, but it was very eye-opening and I left feeling like a huge weight was lifted off my chest. I felt like my lungs had been unlocked and felt an inner strength I have not felt in a long time. I am so thankful to God for that. The challenge I sense before me is to let today, not be a “Not Today” day.
We know our heart is important. It is not just an organ that is pumping blood. Though that is vital to our very survival, so is the health of the heart spoken of in this scripture. The word “heart” in Hebrew, means in the figurative sense. It represents our emotions, our will, our intellect, and understanding. Our heart is the center of who we are; furthermore as stated in this passage of scripture, who we are and what we do in this life flows out of it. I want to understand how to care for my heart. It is “at the heart” of my self care journey.
I do understand and believe when our hearts feel tired, overwhelmed and heavy, even though we try to hide it all, it seeps out for others to see. It may be in our silence, but it could also spill over in anger. We lose focus and let things slip. The longer our heart stays in that condition the more we slowly stop doing good things for ourselves. I’m not talking about buying a material item. I’m talking about getting the rest we need, the food we need, and the connection with others we desperately need in our lives. Even when we don’t think we need it and especially when we could care less to have it. I know this because that is where I’ve been functioning from for the last 4 years. And that is not who I truly am.
A part of me died March of 2020, which made this date today a hard one to get through, but by God’s grace, I have. Today is a good day. To me this is not a “blog”. This is my journal. I will be plotting out my journey like a map. Some of things I want to understand more about and share here are not so cryptic like the “heart” stuff, but every day precepts that I believe will strengthen and nurture both my outer and inner self. I will use the acronym of self care as a framework. The first stop on this journey is the letter “s”. In the self-care world this is known for “sleep”. I will begin to dig into it, but to also work on developing my own healthy habits. Please feel free to share any of your own personal tips along the way.
Goodnight my friend!
Debbie