Monday, December 7, 2015

Guard Your Heart


Recently I had the privilege to visit China on a business trip. From the countless memorable experiences was our visit to the Great Wall of China. On an unusually clear day in Beijing I followed
the wall with my eyes as it crawled and curved as far as the eye could see. I reflected: “what is the purpose of a wall?”. Constructed over many centuries and by different dynasties, the wall had cost immense amounts of time, resources and human life (large sections of the wall were built by forced labor). At the most basic level, walls serve to protect and separate us from other people, or things. No doubt this is useful when one thinks of this particular wall protecting the Chinese from Mongol invaders, or as simple as the walls providing the privacy and protection we enjoy in our homes. However, I took this a step further and thought a wall loses much of its value if you do not guard it.

I will expand this by looking at the examples already mentioned. While the wall provided Chinese protection from attackers, it was not impenetrable; traders and friendly parties still needed to pass at times. In addition, if a wall was not guarded it could easily deteriorate, or be breached if not monitored on a regular basis. In our homes we need holes in our walls for things like guests, fresh air and to interact with the world; these “holes in the wall” are often called windows and doors J. How does this random thought on a windy day in China relate to us during this holiday season? Stick with me, I will explain.

In this season of giving thanks, giving gifts and celebrating the end of the year we are confronted with many feelings. Feelings we want to let in and feelings we want to keep out. I want you to envision your heart as a great kingdom with many great cities and lands surrounded by yes, a great wall. While our hearts may be imperfect, they have the inclination to be good and full of love while pushing out the waste of evil and sin roaming the darker fringes of our “heart kingdoms” if you will. The walls of our hearts need guards to allow this love to pour out as well as expel this waste to be removed (without polluting others of course J). At the same time we need guards to keep eyes on the horizon for enemy advances while discerning who may not be a threat. My question for us is how well are we guarding our hearts? Is the internal greed of “shopping until we drop” consuming us (literally and figuratively) that it drowns out the simplicity of spending time with family? Are the arrows of anxiety finding their mark, or do we have our shield up? In a season of joy traditionally accompanied by an uptick in suicide, are we being overrun by the armies of depression and addiction?

For me being gone from family and friends for months brings skirmishes of loneliness. This is reinforced into a larger battle as I approach another Christmas single (28 and unmarried was not in my game plan). However, this attack is pushed back by the great joy and closeness to God one can grow in through being single and for that I am thankful. In the end though I know there are future attacks and I need to be on guard. What about you, what are you on guard for?  

With a quick shout out to Coach Wilson (R.I.P.) here are a few “words of wisdom” to leave you with:

Nourish the good within and allow it to be amplified by the goodness from the outside.

Root out the evil from within and defend against the evil that bangs at your door.

Pray to know the difference and at all times guard your heart.

Positive Thought Sparks Positive Action,

Miles.

***JANUARY SNEAK PEEK***

With the new year brings a new approach to this blog. While the focus will still be on the power of positive thought, I will be broadening the view on how this is lived out beyond providing micro loans through Zidisha.org. In particular I will highlight individuals whose positive thoughts have sparked positive action and lead to meaningful positive impact. Be ready to be inspired and to raise your standards J.