“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” ~C.S. Lewis
How are you doing on your heart? Do you allow it to be out there, for others to love you and be in relationship with you, or do you close it off because it's supposedly not so painful that way? I believe it's much more painful to shut down the heart, to put it in a safe place. I have done it in the past, and it's lonely. It's much better to put it out there, and let people in your life, knowing that you will face hurts, but you will also face a lot of joy and comfort. We can't think of the negatives; we just have to try to trust and allow others to see who we really are. I know it's hard if you've been hurt, believe me. I shut my heart down for a number of years, only allowing close family in, but then I decided to open up and be vulnerable a few years ago. The result is an amazing friendship that God brought into my life, which has grown deeper over the years. Since moving three years ago, it would have been really easy to shut my heart down and live in a dark, somewhat safe place, and I did for the first few months, but then I started to open my heart up a little and let others in. I have been blessed by doing so. Many of the people aren't what most would classify as super close friends, but they are there if I need them, to talk, to cry, to pray with me. If I would have boxed up my heart, I would miss the support and care and love that these people have given me over the past couple of years. Many also call it as it is and if I'm out of line on something, they gently try to restore me. Most of the relationships go both ways, and I hope I bring blessings to those in my life like they do to me. Take a chance and open up your heart today. Put the hurts from the past behind you, and be willing to let others care about you.
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
How are you doing on your heart? Do you allow it to be out there, for others to love you and be in relationship with you, or do you close it off because it's supposedly not so painful that way? I believe it's much more painful to shut down the heart, to put it in a safe place. I have done it in the past, and it's lonely. It's much better to put it out there, and let people in your life, knowing that you will face hurts, but you will also face a lot of joy and comfort. We can't think of the negatives; we just have to try to trust and allow others to see who we really are. I know it's hard if you've been hurt, believe me. I shut my heart down for a number of years, only allowing close family in, but then I decided to open up and be vulnerable a few years ago. The result is an amazing friendship that God brought into my life, which has grown deeper over the years. Since moving three years ago, it would have been really easy to shut my heart down and live in a dark, somewhat safe place, and I did for the first few months, but then I started to open my heart up a little and let others in. I have been blessed by doing so. Many of the people aren't what most would classify as super close friends, but they are there if I need them, to talk, to cry, to pray with me. If I would have boxed up my heart, I would miss the support and care and love that these people have given me over the past couple of years. Many also call it as it is and if I'm out of line on something, they gently try to restore me. Most of the relationships go both ways, and I hope I bring blessings to those in my life like they do to me. Take a chance and open up your heart today. Put the hurts from the past behind you, and be willing to let others care about you.
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
Ephesians 4:2
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Romans 12:9-10
2 comments:
Thanks for this post. I was hurt this past week and have been thinking of going back to my shell. But you remeinded me of what that is like. I will go forward and live through the hurt.
"The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend. I have no wealth to bestow on him. If he knows that I am happy in loving him, he will want no other reward. Is not friendship divine in this?"
~ Henry David Thoreau
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