Seeing The Heart

Seeing the Heart

Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted.

After a hard day spent in court as an attorney, I walked into the house that evening in tears. They were tears borne of unrelenting sadness, the kind that well up inside and then just quietly, unstoppably slip down your checks.

Dinner was already in progress as I walked in the door, so I wandered into the dining room, pulled up a chair between my preschool-age children, plastered a smile on my face, and asked them how their days were.

My son, Jonny, looked past my fake smile and straight into my heart. At almost three, he could normally be heard roaring like a lion and pouncing on his sister. He was—and still is—physical and active and tough, but he has a tender heart just like his daddy’s.

Jonny pulled me in close for a hug and several slobbery yogurt kisses, asked if I needed a Band-Aid (because tears equal Band-Aids to the three and under crowd), and then invited me to snuggle with him on the couch. When I didn’t move fast enough, he invited me again with a nudging, “Up, Momma!”

I caught my breath in wonder at his perception. How is it that my three-year-old was more aware of the secret tears of another than most adults are? How many people did I pass by today, oblivious that they, too, needed a hug and an encouraging word? How many times have I been so caught up in my own stuff that I’ve failed to reach out to a quietly struggling friend?

While I’m not there yet, I’ve often returned to this precious memory of Jonny as I strive to be sensitive to the whisper of the Holy Spirit. I’m quicker than before to check in with friends I haven’t talked to in a while when I feel a tiny nudge in my soul or when a thought of them flits through my mind. We are called to look out for one another, to be there when life is hard, to see the heart behind the fake smile and cheery words.

— Julie

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Consider what friend the Holy Spirit might be nudging you to check in with, and reach out right now.