The heart at Chick-fil-a...

A couple of years ago I stopped at Chick-fil-A's drive-thru between running errands one afternoon.  It was one of those days when I was thinking that if I could just make it 'til bedtime all was sure to be better the next day.  I ordered my chicken sandwich to go and mentally ran through my list of things still to be done before I could even anticipate bedtime.  

While I was waiting, I mumbled one of those, "Oh Lord, please help me and please give me an extra dose of you right now," prayers.  I got my order and moved out of the way to 'dress' my sandwich before heading to the my next stop.  I smiled and then started to cry (happens in my stress sometimes) when I noticed that the chicken was in the shape of a heart on the bun.  Strange as it may seem, I saw this as a personal message from God.  Yes, I believe He was speaking to me through the chicken... 

It was just the reminder that I needed that all was going to be fine (eventually) and that my current stress wasn't going to last forever and that above all, God loved me through and through.

Since that time, I've seen lots of hearts in all sorts of shapes and sizes and in all kinds of media and I'm reminded still that He is in full control.  At just the right time, I get these sweet messages that help move me towards finding the right perspective.  

When we trust in the Lord, He gives us a new heart and He puts a new spirit in us.  I've seen lots of hearts in Haiti made of stone or like material.  What a great reminder that as God promises to remove our heart of stone, he renews our heart and He puts His Spirit in us and moves us to follow his instructions. (Ezekiel 36:26)  

As I continue to look for the personal messages that God sends me, I want to share some of these that He's given me while I've been in Haiti.  Valentine's Day seemed like a good time to do so.  (smiles)

"If from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him 

if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul."  ~Deuteronomy 4:29

 

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." ~Proverbs 4:25

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." ~Jeremiah 29:13

"A cheerful heart is good medicine..." ~Proverbs 17:22

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not 

on your own understanding." ~Proverbs 3:5

"I run in the paths of your commands, 

for you have set my heart free." ~Psalm 119:32

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, 

and renew a steadfast spirit within me." ~ Psalm 51:10 

 

"It is with your heart that you believe and are justified." ~Romans 10:10 

"...do the will of God from your heart." ~Ephesians 6:6

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, 

as working for the Lord, not for men." ~Colossians 3:23

When making dinner one night, I dumped the butter out into the pan and couldn't believe it looked like a heart...

 

...as the heart melted, another heart formed!

I believe that God wants to use our hearts to represent His heart (Luke 6:45).  I also believe that as we go through heart change so that His heart is the one that is visible the world around us might be uncomfortable with us and our stand.  We see in Romans and in 2 Timothy that we are called to be set apart, to be different especially when we are doing what God calls us to do.  Our enemy wants to convince us to stop right when the Lord has us ready to go but I am encouraged to continue on because, "God who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us." ~Acts 15:8

"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms 

and carries them close to his heart." ~Isaiah 40:11

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God." ~John 14:1

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart 

be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, 

my Rock and my Redeemer."  ~Psalm 19: 14

~~ When all else fails, trust HIS heart! ~~