When I was in my late teens and early 20’s, I gave my heart away more freely than was prudent.

Hoping that the boy receiving it would care for it.

But as they judged and found me lacking, my heart was returned even more torn and tattered.

By the time the man who would become my husband professed his love for me, I was hesitant.

I had toughened up that muscle to protect it from further damage. My heart was hard and I thought that was the best way to protect it from breaking.

But a hardened heart is desensitized, closed, incurable, dead.

It’s already broken.

Thankfully, this man God sent for me was persistent. He gradually chipped away at the mortar in the wall I built around my heart. He wrote me love notes and poems. He listened when I talked and planned events he knew I would enjoy. He cared enough to do simple things with me, just so we could spend time together. He stuck around even when I revealed my brokenness to him.

Eventually, he broke through and I gave him my heart.

It is this man’s example, that has helped shape my view of God’s love for me. Gradually, I began to believe that if he could love me this much, then maybe, God does, too.

My husband’s methods for softening my heart were similar to the ways God reaches for us. And, just like my husband, He accomplished all these things before we loved Him.

He wrote us a powerful love letter. It tells of His great love and faithfulness for His people that has existed since creation and will last throughout eternity.

As we soften our hearts and look for His presence we will begin to see His handiwork in creating moments of joy designed just for us. The beauty of His creation and His divine interruptions in our lives are evidence of His love for us.

He longs to simply spend time with us. He wants to build a relationship with each of us.

Our Heavenly Father knows all our brokenness, but He will never run from it. Instead, He ran toward it. He sent His Son so that we could be made whole and new and perfect. That newness starts in the heart and works it way out until my whole being is re-made in His image.

Those things we allow into our hearts shape what flows outward from them, so we should be choosy about what we let inside (Proverbs 4:3). If we let God’s love in, then we will have love to spare for those around us. If we welcome the Holy Spirit, it will be His fruit that will blossom abundantly in our lives. If we feed our hearts with His Word, we will be reassured of His great faithfulness.
But first I have to give Him my heart. Sometimes that’s a gradual surrendering. Others it might happen in the blink of an eye. Occasionally I might give a little and then try to take it back. But the more of my heart I give Him, the more new He makes me.

Our Heavenly Father relentlessly pursues the broken hearted by His Word, the work of His Spirit and His divine interventions in our daily lives. As we soften and give Him our hearts He is faithful to heal our brokenness and bind up our wounds (Psalm 147:3).

Dear Heavenly Father, I give you my heart. I trust You will be tender with it as you transform it by your Word and Spirit. Keep chiseling away at the places I try to keep from you. Make me to know Your faithfulness, so that day by day I feel free to give You more. In Jesus Name, Amen.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Psalm 147:3

Today I’m linking up with Suzie Eller’s #livefreeThursday as we discuss her prompt “I give you my heart.” Click on over and check out what the other amazing ladies have to say.