Language of the Heart

“What the heart doesn’t have words for, comes out in tears.” 

Loren Thornburg

It seems one of the deepest expressions of the heart doesn’t come in words, but rather through tears.  They come in times of deepest pain and deepest joy to express what words can’t express.  Sometimes they are so deep we don’t know where they are coming from.  Yet often they are so true that a good cry brings more peace than sharing with words.  There is truth in tears.  I used to think that tears were a sign of weakness.  I’ve changed my mind.  I now think tears are a sign of strength.  There is such strength in letting our hearts be seen and the deepest parts of us be known.  There is strength when we invite others into our deepest places.  So let your strength be known and let the tears fall down.  

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
Psalm 56:8 NLT

All throughout scripture we see tears.  Women and men alike express themselves through tears, Jesus included.  There is no mention of this being something of weakness.  No where does God respond for them to stop their crying.  Instead we see that He cares deeply for us in those places.  Here in the Psalm David is being chased by his enemies, running for his life and He recalls the goodness of our God in those places.  He speaks of the ways that God keeps track of our sorrows and collects our tears, recording each of them.  It’s hard to imagine that the God who created earth and sea would care so intimately for the sorrows of our hearts, but He does.  He is walking so closely with you that He can collect your tears.  Tears have always been important to Him.  Sometimes they are our best prayers.  Cry it out!  He hears you, He sees you, He is with you!

Say It Again

“Some things are worth being said again and again.”
Loren Thornburg

With some people the conversation doesn’t seem complete without those three words, “I love you.”  Sometimes I have thought it seemed unnecessary to keep saying it.  Doesn’t the person know?  Do they think the other person forgot from when they told them the day before?  Yet the more I see my need to keep what’s true at the forefront of my mind and thoughts the more I realize the importance of each, “I love you.”  It’s not because we didn’t know, but because it’s important to bring to the front of our minds.  Often it is not a matter of telling the person something that they didn’t know, but of reminding them of what is true.  We need to remember and yet we are prone to forget.  Some things we need to hear over and over again.  Some things we need to say over and over again. So say it again and hear it again, really hear it, that you would remember not to forget what’s true.  

“…then watch yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”
Deuteronomy 6:12 NASB

One thing you see throughout the Old Testament, especially in Deuteronomy, is the call to remember not to forget.  The Lord says it over and over again.  It seems the people must have needed lots of reminders.  We are just like these people.  We need lots of reminders of what’s true.  We need to be reminded of who God is and what He has already done.  If I don’t remember then I forget.  It’s when I lose sight of this that I begin to wander from the only One who can bring me hope, life and joy.  There is so much that our days require from us that it’s easy to forget to remember Him.  Responsibilities, people, pain, and circumstances all beg for our attention.  So then we must watch ourselves, that we don’t forget the Lord.  Let us remember not to forget the truth of who He is and who He says you are in Him.  

Surrendered Design

“When you are free to be all that you were created to be then you are really free.”

Loren Thornburg

The rains come down and the curls come out. No matter how much I straighten my hair or use products my naturally curly hair returns to curly when it gets wet.  It is naturally curly and so it will always return to its natural form.  In more ways than our hair we all have a natural design.  No matter how much we want it to be different or try to make it look different our natural design will eventually surface.  It’s how we were created.  It was an intentional design.  Just as I’ve come to embrace my curly hair so too we must embrace our natural design.  It’s beautiful when it happens.  For there we find freedom to be who we were created to be and it just comes naturally.  Not only does it come naturally but it's needed.  It’s time to surrender to your design.  

“For it was You who created my inward parts;  You knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

Psalm 139:13 HCSB

You were created by the Creator of the Universe with a particular design in mind.  It was not an accident, it was on purpose.  So often all we can see is the hard parts of how we were created.  The parts we don’t like and the ways we wish we looked different both inside and out.  Yet, God created you.  I don’t always understand God and all of His ways but one thing that is clear throughout scripture is that He is intentional and He has a bigger picture in mind than what we see.  So what if we started seeing the other side of those hard parts?  What if we started seeing the good in them? Now what do you see?  God created you on purpose for a greater purpose.  In order to enjoy the greater purpose we have to embrace every intricacy of our design and our Designer.  Surrender to Him and His design of you and your life.  Start seeing what He sees.  Start seeing His great design.