Hope Full Hearts
Hello friends – as I was shopping yesterday, I walked by some boxes of Valentine’s Day candy on a bottom shelf for a quick reduced sale. The heart-centered holiday where we make an effort to express love, affection and friendship seems to now be forgotten with the promise of a new one on the horizon. I imagined the cute, colorful messages of love within those boxes broken down in pieces as they were tossed aside. I thought about precious clients and friends whose hearts feel broken and discarded like those sweet boxes of love. They endure so much loss. Life as they once knew it is no more, and things will never be the same. They honestly struggle to find hope in so much sadness.
In Scripture, we are told to “guard our heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). How do we do this, especially when the hole in it seems to drain the life right out of us? I am not talking about the heart as an organ that pumps blood throughout the body, nor am I referring to romantic notions of love. I am speaking about the Biblical definition of the heart, which is the spiritual part of us where emotions and desires dwell. The heart is the core of our being, and the source of our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and actions. I am amazed at how many Bible verses address it. God has always been most concerned with matters of the heart.
With my coaching clients, I help them learn how to be more aware of what they are actually thinking about, as well as what they give their precious time and energy to. This is important not only when grieving a loss or facing disorganization, but in every area of life. We can pray. We can create boundaries. We can forgive. We can practice self care, soul care. We can face the unease. We can declutter the unnecessary. We can ask for help. We can make better decisions. We can find supportive people. We can reach out to bless others in need. We can remind ourselves of what is true. We can participate in things that bring us joy. We can praise God for all He has done and what He is yet to do. Through it all, we can draw near to God and fix our eyes on Jesus the Messiah, the only One to fill us back up.
We have choices – and therein lies the key. Learning how to care for ourselves, take notice of what’s really going on within and shift perspective is not a quick fix process. It is a slow, yet significant way to grow through loss. When we protect our hearts, we take ownership and responsibility for our mental, psychological, and spiritual well-being. In doing so, we keep ourselves from what actually gets in the way of healing. By guarding our hearts, we make room to be filled with what’s on His heart, which is always and forevermore full of hope.
Coaching Connection:
- What do you do when you’ve lost all hope?
- Where do you find more of it?
To Your Growth,
