From guest contributor Valerie Morse
“He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives…”
Here we are, once again in the deep freeze of winter. We are told–by experts in the field of psychology and psychiatry–that February is the month that sees the highest levels of depression. Perhaps it is the fatigue of having endured a harsh winter; or the isolation, due to an inability to be out and about due to the weather…or simply due to the lack of sunshine to warm our bodies and our moods.
Whatever the case, I find it interesting that this month celebrates the heart. That organ that hangs from store shop windows everywhere…beautiful, bright red hearts…some of cardboard…some of lace…and some of tinfoil. Perfect hearts…perfectly shaped. Very decorative, but not at all like the actual organs that beat within our chests. We certainly wouldn’t want to hang ornaments that looked like our actual hearts!!
We do not think of the heart as the organ that controls thought, but God’s Word refers to the “thoughts and intents of the heart”. Nor do we think of the heart as the organ that controls speech, yet once again, we are told that “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” What a powerful organ, is the heart!
And yet, this seemingly powerful organ can be broken by something as simple as an unkind word…even an unintended slight.
Have you ever heard someone say, ‘He broke my heart…she broke my heart…’?
What does it actually take to ‘break’ a heart? In most cases, it takes either another human being…or an unfortunate circumstance. And sometimes, these hearts which are so soft as to be easily broken, can suddenly harden, not allowing anything to hurt them again.
During this season of love, when we celebrate those whom we cherish, let us remember the love of a God who seeks out the broken, the discouraged and the wounded. May the love of Christ, displayed on Calvary’s cross, compel us to guard our tongues, to guard our actions, and to actually see the hearts of others as He sees them…fragile. May our words and deeds be a reflection of God’s heart toward us, as we love and encourage those around us.
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” ( II Thessalonians 2:17)
Happy Family Day!
