Skip to main content

October: 31 Days to Keep a Tender Heart


Well, two of my favorite bloggers have chosen to pick a topic and write about it for the next 31 days. Ann Voskamp is writing 31 Days to Crazy Joy at www.aholyexperience.com and Emily P. Freeman is writing 31 Days to Hush at www.chattingatthesky.com.

I’m really intrigued by this idea of writing about something specific over the next 31 days and it’s a challenge that I want to accept. I’m also nervous because I don’t write that consistently and daily posts may be too much for me. On top of that, I think that what God is leading me to write about is 31 Days to Keep a Tender Heart. I think that this will involve even more vulnerability on my part and that’s scary too.
But, I feel a sacred invitation and grace to write about what God is teaching me. You see, I have a hard time keeping a tender heart. When life gets hard and I feel disappointed, I usually harden my heart to stop the pain. God has been gently teaching me a different way in the past few months, but it’s not perfected yet. I still find hardened chunks in my heart and allowing it to stay tender in the face of hurt, fear and loss is really hard to do. The tender parts are more exposed and vulnerable to further injury. But, they are also more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and His fruits of joy, peace, love and gentleness.

So, I want to keep a tender heart and I’m committed to sharing some of my learning process with you over the next 31 days.
Still counting gifts:

·         #445: Perfect weather for Ava’s 6th birthday party, which was pirate themed

·         #446: Being asked to pray for people feeling emotionally stuck at my church

·         #447: When I was reading about how joy is always found in God’s presence and my heart overflowed in tears of gratitude that He has made a way for me to always be joyful

·         #448: Family and neighbors mingling around a campfire in the backyard

·         #449: Being physically able to run 3 miles and encounter God simultaneously

·         #450: Enjoying the solitude of the forest preserve in the early morning

·         #451: Learning how to share in other people’s suffering

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Back to School

Well, after four years away from school counseling, I have decided to return. Yes, I'm keeping my private practice in counseling. I will be reducing the number of clients that I see on a weekly basis in order to work 20 hours a week as a school counselor at Rockford Christian Elementary School. This comes in the midst of conversations that I have been having with God about desire. In fact, pursuing this position kind of started those conversations. My good friend Mackenzie, who works in the business office at RCS, told me about the position innocently enough. She wanted me to have the information about the position in case I had any counselor friends who might be interested in applying. What neither she nor I could have known, was how desire would stir in my heart as soon as she started to describe it to me. There are things that I have come to absolutely love in private practice counseling. I love being my own boss, setting my own hours and having complete freedom over...
1 comment
Read more

When Creative Desire Stirs

The past 3 months have felt crazy. And during all these months of crazy, busy activity in my life, desire has been stirring in the background of my heart. I read things that other people write and feel myself come alive. I talk with people and hear things that God is speaking and want to write them down and share. I listen to music, sing to the Lord and long to create something that will help other people to connect with God in worship. It has been over two months since I touched our piano. Or any piano, for that matter. This is also my first blog post in almost 3 months. Crazy months, yes. But, 3 months all the same. I feel sad about these things. And scared to start again. What if I have lost everything that I had developed? But even fear of the possible frustration of starting again has not been able to change my desire. My desire has only been stirring and growing all this time. My desire is to resume creating. With piano. With words. This is week 9 of my training for t...
Post a Comment
Read more
Dear Me at 16, First, take a deep breath and try to relax. You're not receiving this letter because you are bad or in trouble. To the contrary, I'm writing to you because I care about you and I know that it's hard for you to let others be caring toward you. You feel exposed and vulnerable, wondering if the person will stumble across all those imperfections that you work so hard to hide. You feel afraid of how they might judge you if they knew how needy, fragile and broken you actually are behind your put-together facade. I want to let you know that it's not your fault that you are this way. At least, it's not entirely your fault. Your desire to encourage and help other people is a wonderful, God-given part of your personality that influences you to put yourself in the position of helper. And this is an important part of how God has made you because it relates to the high calling that He has placed on your life to partner with Him in restoring people. Being t...
Post a Comment
Read more