How Many Heartbreaks Will I Leave Behind? Preschool Valentine's Day Devotion

February in preschool is all about the love. We exchange Valentine’s Day cards. We talk about friendship, kindness, and most importantly we practice our memory verse “God is Love” 1 John 4:8. 

 “It’s all good”, as my favorite children's literary character, Pete the Cat, would say. 

Until, it’s not so good…

Today at preschool a great life lesson was learned.  Only it seems the one who needed the lesson was Mrs. Yolanda and not the children. I hate it when that happens!  Even though it was probably intended innocently, I was basically told to “Put a bubble in it.” Which is a polite way of saying, “Be quiet”.  We use that cute expression to have the children pretend to put a bubble in their mouth so that we can quiet them down for story time. It works great.  It works great for adults too as I found out. Though, I’ll admit, I felt like I was choking on my bubble. So as I’m sitting there with my pretend bubble in my mouth, wallowing in hurt feelings, a teacher starts to read, Heartprints, by P.K. Hallinan.  It’s a great book that talks about when we do acts of kindness for others we touch their hearts and leave heartprints behind.

While I’m hearing these beautiful words I start praying, “Lord, please convict this person’s heart who told me to put a bubble in my mouth so they can apologize and my hurt feelings will go away.” Literally, I am praying these exact words to the Lord.  Then this phrase comes into my mind, “How many hearts will YOU break today.” At first, I’m thinking, “Nah, nah, nah! Oh yeah, the Lord’s going to make them feel bad now.” Then I start recalling memories of times I have spoken harshly to someone or I have been inconsiderate. I felt like the Lord was reminding me, “Yolanda, how many hearts have you broken?”  OUCH!

And just so that the Lord would make sure that I got the message, He prepared my heart yesterday when a coworker left a great devotion in my mailbox called, “Love is Tactful, Not Just Truthful” by Rick Warren.This devotion states:

“The way you say something determines the way it will be received. If you say something offensively, it’s going to be received defensively. That’s why love is all about your words. Love is truthful, but it is also tactful. Tack and tone always go together. It matters the way you say something, not just what you say.”

One of the memories the Lord brought to mind was my recent reunion with two college friends. One friend I had not seen in 12 years. We lost contact after her wedding and just stopped talking to each other.  She recently found me on Facebook and I am so glad that she did. One question she had for me was, “Why did we stop talking? Did I do something to offend you the last time I saw you?” She’d held these painful thoughts close to her heart all these years. I felt terrible because it was nothing that she had done; life just took us in different directions. But as I recalled this memory, the Lord brought to mind another.

My first year in college, I met these two amazing young women.  A few months after hanging out every day together, I was invited to dinner. I lovingly refer to this dinner as my “intervention”.  You see, they sat me down to have a little chat. It seems that my humor could be a little harsh.  I had a certain “tone” that really hurt their feelings. WHAT? OH PLEASE. I wanted to storm out of their little apartment and take my amazingly, witty self out of there.  But I realized something. These girls mattered to me. I really cared about them. Both shared how they cared enough to let me know how they felt. WOW! I’d never had anyone care enough about my friendship to risk losing it.  I sat myself back down, swallowed my “bubble”, and agreed to change. That little intervention has always stuck with me as a great life lesson and I've always appreciated learning it.

One of the greatest glimpses God gave me today was of my friend that was brave enough to express her feelings again after 12 years. She was always the kindest and sweetest out of the three of us. I’m, as you know, sarcastic. My other friend is one tough cookie. She’d scare me if I didn't love her so much. But our other friend is just sweet. Why she chose to hang out with us, I’ll never know but I thank God for her friendship. God surely knit all three of our hearts together, so that we could help each other survive the college years because I would have been lost without them.  And what God joined together all those years ago, He intends never to be torn apart because the minute we saw each other again the years melted away and that bond of friendship was cemented.

So God is Good! Because when I chose to turn the finger inwards instead of outwards I realized that we all have the potential to leave “heartbreak prints” on each other’s hearts.  We may not even mean to. We could be tired, ill, or just annoyed. Our words may seem innocent but our tone is harsh.

The Bible says that a rash word is like a sword thrust (Proverbs 12:18). And I’ll admit that today I felt like a little sword had been thrust into my heart.  But I’m thankful for it because God physically allowed me to feel pain so that I would remember to try and never intentionally, or even unintentionally, inflict that pain on someone else. It has taken me 45 years to see that harsh words are just not worth the pain they cause others.  My prayer is that just like that “intervention” in college helped me grow, God will continue to work on my character. So the more I become like Christ, the more I leave “heartprints” in my wake and not “heartbreak prints”.

Ephesians 4:29 (AMP)

Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.

So from now let’s put a bubble in our mouth if we’re about to hurt someone’s feelings. Let’s chew on our words for a while if necessary. If they are harsh or unnecessary let’s swallow them. But if they are encouraging, uplifting, and will bring Glory to God then let’s blow the biggest, sweetest, bubble imaginable. So big that when it pops, Jesus in Heaven will get some spittle on His face, laugh, and rejoice with us.

Love,

Yolanda

Found this next song and I love it: "The Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18 (ESV) 

    

For Valentine's Day...A Bouquet Is Better Than A Single Rose

Many, many years ago, when I was dating my soon-to-be hubby, I received my first Valentine’s Day flower delivery at work.  It was a lovely single red rose with a sweet love letter attached.  I was so excited! For the first time in my very, very limited dating life I had a cute Valentine of my very own. The whole day I walked around my office in a state of romantic bliss….until I got home.

You see my perfectly gorgeous roommate was dating an Argentinean rich Hottie. That evening I walked into a literal Valentine's Day shrine in our apartment. Mr. Hottie had bought her 2-dozen Argentinean roses. Did you know that Argentinean roses actually stand about 3-feet tall? If that wasn't bad enough, he bought her a chocolate candy kiss that was bigger than my single lonely rose.  She offered to let my little rose sit next to her shrine in the living room, but my single rose and I took the walk of shame back to my bedroom. 

I used to be like that little lonely rose. A Christian rose, beautiful and fragrant, but still standing all alone.  Mistakenly thinking, “It’s just me and God against the world. I don’t need to rely on anyone else.” While it’s true that our relationship with God is a personal one; what was really going on in my heart was fear. Fear of letting others see my struggles. Fear they wouldn't understand. Fear I’d be judged for my weaknesses. I was afraid to be let down, ignored, or rejected.

Since I have been blessed to work in a Christian school, where weekly prayer and devotions are part of our work schedule, I have learned that it is not good to be a single little rose standing alone.  I have come to value my fellow Christian roses. You see when we get together for that ½ hour, amazing things happen: walls are broken down, hurts are healed, wrongs are forgiven, laughter is shared, weary souls are uplifted, wisdom flows, dreams are encouraged, and prayer is raised as a sweet aroma of devotion to our Jesus.  That ½ hour is the greatest teacher prep work we do all week long.

Recently, our hearts were united stronger than ever praying for a little girl who was battling cancer. She was known to only one of us but our love for one another made her important to all of us. For months, every Tuesday, we would lift her up in prayer and as time past she became part of our hearts.  Maybe because we are all moms. Maybe because we teach children about her same age. But most likely because as Sisters-in-Christ we are supposed to share one another’s burdens.

Last Saturday this beautiful little girl went home to be with Jesus and we wept tears of heartbreak for her family.  In my sadness, I felt as if God knit our broken hearts together and He gently arranged all of His beautiful single roses into a beautiful bouquet of prayer for Faith and her family. 

This week as our staff will be wearing shades of pink in honor of Valentine’s day, I got an image of all of us teachers bound together as a lovely bouquet of pink roses wearing our broken hearts on our sleeves. We will proudly wear our pink in honor of a sweet, beautiful little girl who showed us what true faith looks like and reminded us what it means to BE LOVE to one another.     

This poem is dedicated to Faith…

Pink

Valentine’s week

Staff told to wear pink

My initial reaction

Pink? That stinks

But now in remembrance

Pink….

Pretty in pink

Precious and sweet

Favorite among little girls

The color of rosy cheeks

Filly dresses

With ribbons and bows

Pink…

The color of flowers in bloom

We will be God’s roses

Lifting our prayers

Like petals in search of the sun

Our faith an exquisite fragrance

A sweet aroma of praise

Gathered together as a bouquet

A Valentine’s gift to our Savior

Jesus

Our one and only true love

So this Valentine’s Day if you are a little rose, beautiful but all alone in a glass vase, remember that God desires to gather us together into His own special bouquet (Hebrews 10:25).  He knows that we need one another to make it through the heartbreak and the trials of life. It doesn't matter what season you’re in: single, married, kids, no kids, old, or young. Find a church that is alive with God’s Spirit, a Bible study, prayer breakfast, moms group, singles group, youth group, and God fearing friends who will keep you accountable. People who will keep you running the race towards the prize of salvation. When you are united in Spirit with Believers you can pray for others and they can pray for you, you can hug others and they can hug you, you can BE LOVE to others and let others BE LOVE to you.  Remember, the Enemy of God wants to keep you alone. Don’t let him. He knows that alone our fragrance of Jesus is sweet but gathered together it's a powerful, overwhelming, fragrant aroma of salvation to those that are hungry and searching for God. That life-giving fragrance of Jesus will be irresistible to the lost and hurting just like bees drawn to the nectar of flowers…      

Happy Valentine’s Day! 

Love,

Yolanda

In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 (MSG)

Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer. Hebrews 10:25 (CEV)

Jesus, My Silver Lining

The following poem is what happens when I watch too much depressing news on TV, read too many political commentaries on Facebook, and the Book of Revelation is reading like the front page of my newspaper. When a glimpse into the world's future makes me so anxious that my heart rate accelerates and worry robs my sleep. When I have thoughts of fleeing into the wilderness and making friends with the Doomsday Preppers. When I call out to God and say, "Wait God, I thought this was all going to happen when I was long gone, looking down on the world unraveling from my front row seat in Heaven..."  

This poem was God's way of calming my spirit and reminding me, "A battle may be raging but the victory is MINE..."

Silver Lining 

Economy collapsing

Healthcare imploding

Human suffering heartbreaking

Real life overwhelming

BUT

There is always a silver lining

JESUS

When I feel like hiding

I’ll remember…

Your miracles

Your promises

Your blessings

Your victories

Your grace

Your sacrifice

Though darkness looms

And danger lurks

I need not fear for

You have overcome the world

Your Unfailing Love abounds

And Glorious Heaven awaits

So when night

Finds me weeping

Instead of sleeping

I’ll call upon the 

God-of-Angel-Armies

To watch over me

To Jesus I’ll run

God’s Beloved Son

Who is coming back for me

Shining brighter than the sun

So enemies that be

You have no power over me

For JESUS IS LORD

And soon the whole world
Will see what I see

Love,

Yolanda

PS: Who thinks maybe it's a good idea to detox from the news for awhile, turn on some worship music, and thank God that He's in control?

Psalm 46:1-3 (MSG) 

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him.We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in sea storm and earthquake, before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

Lifeline in the Storm

Have you ever had an inspired idea or a profound thought that seemed to came out of nowhere and thought to yourself, “Huh, I wonder where that came from?” I used to wonder that all the time because I was convinced that I couldn't hear from God.  Erroneously I was waiting for a loud, audible voice. I’m not saying that some people don’t hear from God like that but I haven’t had that experience. Probably because God knows that a loud, audible voice would freak me out. I’m cowardly like that.

I used to be disappointed about not hearing an audible voice until I realized that God created me to be a “word” person.  I love the rhythm and beauty of knitting words together to convey a feeling or a thought. So God’s Spirit, who has taken residence inside my heart, knows that I respond to His gentle prodding through the use of the written or spoken word, most importantly through His Bible. But I have also felt confirmation of His love and direction through a sermon, a line from a movie, or an inspirational quote.

Sometimes someone will say something that strikes me as heartwarming or funny and suddenly my mind will wander off stringing words together into sentences. Or I will see a movie that strikes a cord and I am lost in my own mind again. And you might as well say good-bye to conversing with me during a particularly powerful worship song. My daughter has come to recognize my blank stare because suddenly I’ll hear a “MOM” or see a hand waiving in front of my face and she’ll just sigh and say, “You’re writing again.”

Recently, I've experienced something new and totally cool. I am getting mental pictures that inspire my writing. For example, a few weeks ago during a church service, I got a mental picture of a pearl inside a seashell. This image stayed with me until it seemed to flow right into my Inner Bombshell post. A few days ago, two words came to my mind: sidelines and lifeline. I began to pray that the Lord would inspire and help me put these words into poetry.  As I meditated on these words, phrases came together and I got a mental picture of being tossed overboard. I don’t know why I can’t ever have a mental picture of lying in a meadow of wildflowers? Probably because that mental picture would come with a hungry bear looking for a snack… anyways, here’s how these two words flowed together…

Lifeline in the Storm

Jesus never intended

To sit on the sidelines

Of my shipwrecked life

Allowing the waves

To crush me

Beneath their weight

Drowning in a sea of

Burdens and despair

HE IS

My Savior

A lifeline

In the storm

He wraps that line of hope

Around His mighty waist

And anchors Himself to

God’s amazing Grace

Tossing to and fro

I catch His line of mercy

Crying out:

“Jesus, don’t let go!

Pull me up from this hell below.”

Two arms

Powerful and strong

Raise me up

Higher and higher

Out of danger

Jesus, My Savior

Calls my name

Grasping for breath I look up to see

Two shining eyes of love

Looking down at me.

Daughter, do you trust me?

“Jesus, I’m afraid”

Daughter, do you trust me?

“Jesus, help me trust.”

Daughter, do you trust me?

“Jesus, I trust you.”

Then let go.

"Why Lord?"

Because faith is knowing

I'll catch you and

I’ll never let YOU go

That mental picture of clinging to a lifeline in a raging storm turned into a conversation with my Jesus.  As I pictured myself desperately hanging on and looking up into His wondrous love, I began to prayerfully ask, “Jesus, what do you want to tell me?” I felt the message in the mental picture was this: Jesus wants me to boldly step out in faith at this point in my life. Just like Peter had to get out of the security of the boat to walk on water, I have to stop clinging futilely to the things of this world that I rely on for security: like money, politics, and trying to handle things on my own. Jesus IS my lifeline. He's all I need.  I also have to let go of my prideful nature and the fear of rejection and offending others because those weaknesses hold me back from sharing Jesus with others. This poem is what transpired.

So…

If you’re thinking, “That’s cool for you, but why can’t I hear anything from God?” You do. You just may not recognize it yet.  Let me offer you some hopeful suggestions that are helping me to over come my spiritual deafness.  First, pray that God fills your heart with power of His Holy Spirit completely, daily, hourly, every minute of the day if need be. Then pray that God helps you realize how much He loves you. Get to know Him as your Savior, Comforter, Healer, Father, and Friend. Find a good church where you can be spiritually fed and encouraged by His Word. If you’re in trouble, feeling stressed, or have been hurt, search for a scripture verse and then keep it close to your heart all day long. Sometimes, I will google something like “scripture verse for stress” and then I will read them all. I will look up different translations to see which one speaks to my heart. The one that does is God’s way of communicating His love for me.

God’s word says that those that diligently search for Him will find Him (Proverbs 8:17). That’s His promise to us.  So ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you (Matthew 7:7). God loves you unconditionally. He wants you to come to Him and when you do, prepare to be amazed, inspired, motivated, and sent out. Yes, you heard me….You will be sent out! Because God wants to speak to our hearts and touch our lives, not so we can hoard all that goodness for ourselves, but so that we can go out and show others how to do the same.

We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us… Hebrews 6:18-20 (MSG)

So how do you hear from God? I’d love to hear your experiences…

Love,

Yolanda