Have you ever been accused, rather negatively I might add, of wearing your heart on your sleeve?
Oh, for the life of me, I can’t even begin to count the number of times my parents, most certainly out of love, urged me to cover up my arm-band badge connected straight to my heart. It was like there was a leaky valve, pouring my soul right out of my skin into the hands of any passerby.
Looking back, I most certainly see why I was eager to leave my heart in a messy trail of relationships. I was desperately trying to connect. It was the awful combination of a verbally inclined child living in the shell of a broken-hearted girl. The legacy of abuse that tormented my own parents left them dried up and unable to meet my emotional processing needs. So I turned elsewhere. Friends. Boys. Rebellious things of teenage years. Foolish things of college years.
I wore my heart on my sleeve, desperately looking for love.
Until.
Until Jesus entered my heart.
Then I covered up the arm band.
It is not like this Jesus girl could let anyone know there was still a heart hurting inside of me desperately seeking flesh connection.
Would you?
So my heart grew hardened. No longer on my sleeve. A pulse beating slow. Spiritual death caught up with emotional devastation until my mouth spoke only destruction.
And then I got a kick in the pants by the ones I love the most.
And I got help to deal with a heart hardened by pain, shame, regret, bitterness, and unforgiveness.
And I learned I could put my heart back on my sleeve.
But this time, my heart badge is not worn to seek out connection.
Now my heart is open wide and worn on my sleeve to declare God’s glorious grace.
2 Corinthians 6:11-13 NIV
We have spoken freely to you…and opened wide our hearts to you.
We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us.
As a fair exchange…open wide your hearts also.
What’s the state of your heart?
Find out how God healed mine in Meet the New You and find hope to take the next step, too.
beautiful post! I shared it on fb and may link up to it on my blog if I find time to write today. It really resonated with me as I, too, wear my heart on my sleeve and leave it wide open. I’ll write more about that in my post if I get it done today. Thank you for sharing and being so open. It’s nice to know there are other women who feel as deeply as I do.
Thank you so much Michelle! I’ll email you the eBook right now!
I know that “verbally inclined child living in the shell of a broken-hearted girl” wanting to connect. But that heart on the sleeve story – that is a mission field story – not torn off, but used to bind others brokenness, to show them the way to healing and wholeness.
When I got hold of Don and Katie Fortune’s books about Spiritual Gifts, I started seeing me as God sees me, and discovered my “verbally inclined” self was a gift from God. That changed my life.
I love how God pursues us, binds those wounds and then teaches us how to bind other’s wounds! So glad you wrote about this – so hope it binds somebody’s wounds today!
Thank you so much for comment! Yes, uncovering our Spiritual Gifts and even our God-given personality is a huge step in life change!
Wow! Every day you just speak into my life! This scripture in 2Cor.6:13 just came alive to me today through your article. Thankyhou! I have posted on my FB page your encouraging article. I was already opening my heart unto the Lord this morning in my time with Him; but now I will open it WIDE!.
Beautiful post. Totally relatable and filled with hope and truth. 🙂
Amen, well said.
Elisa, this post strikes at the heart of what I experienced growing up, although I had wonderful parents, they were extremely involved in the ministry and oblivious to what I was dealing with in the public schools. The one constant in my life was people telling me not to wear my heart on my sleeve and making fun of me for it. I placed myself behind an emotional brick wall until Jesus broke it down.
Now as an adult, my parents ministry has been the foundation of my faith and I have come full circle. Again, I wear my heart on my sleeve as much as I can in order to love others with the love of Christ. I have much to learn and far to go, but I am finally headed in the right direction! It is amazing when you know who you are in Christ, how discerning you are regarding your heart.
Thank you for putting words to my emotions!
Hi. Glad I found your blog through WFW. I host a link up called Brag on God Friday. I hope you can join us. 🙂