How is your heart beep?

The difficulties of life are caused by disharmony in the individual. - April 29th - God Calling AJ Russell

To conquer adverse circumstances, conquer yourselves. - May 2nd - God Calling AJ Russell

Disharmony - lack of agreement - in music or sounds, resulting in unpleasant sound combinations (Encarta).

Olivia leaned in and placed her plastic pink stethoscope on my chest and asked, "Is your heart beeping?" "I think so." I replied. "That's good." she responded.

The past few weeks we have experienced some disharmony, some adverse circumstances. I think the book God calling was written sometime in the 1930's, by two anonymous "listeners". This book has been my devotional source for the past year. Now, with that in mind, as we have experienced the circumstances that we have these past few weeks, I am in awe of how God provides answers for and clarity to my current situation by using something that was written 70 plus years ago. He has used this book to speak so profoundly to my heart that each day I am so very curious to find out what He has to say next. This past week, He did it again.

I have been praying and thinking a lot about what we are experiencing. I "process" things by dissecting what might be happening below the surface. On Tuesday April 29th I read, "The difficulties of life are caused by disharmony in the individual." (God Calling). I looked up the definition for disharmony and the following picture came to mind; Image yourself attending the premiere of a spectacular new musical in New York City. You splurge and you "do it up brown" (one of my father-in-law's famous quotes - it means "go all out"). You are to die for…looking fabulous. You nestle into your velvet red theatre seat that is ornately decorated when the lights begin to dim and you hear the tapping of the director's wand on the metal music stand…tap, tap, tap. You take a deep breath, close your eyes and prepare yourself for the music that is about to caress your senses. What happens next causes you to cover your ears in sheer agony. The sound that rings in your ears is so unpleasant that you run out of the auditorium simply to escape it.

One of the definition for disharmony is referring to music or sounds that result in an unpleasant sound combination. Now, when we think of disharmony in the sense of life's difficulties, do we first think about what sound combination might be happening in our own hearts that could be causing a lack of balance or conflict? Is it possible that the scene that I described above might just be the sound that flows from our hearts? I am not talking about who is to blame or who has instigated something, I am wanting us to think about what is happening within us. How is our heart beep? Is it healthy? Is it strong? Is it wounded? Has a bitter root begun to grow? What is going on in us? What kind of music flows from your heart? Is it a piece that brings comfort and joy to those around you or is it the result of an unpleasant sound combination? Believe it or not our hearts naturally produce some kind of music. And those whom we encounter day in and day out hear something. Life's difficulties can be conquered by an examination of what is happening within our hearts that is causing us to feel disharmony, conflict, or a lack of balance. How do we conquer these difficulties? By placing all situations, all circumstances in the faithful hands of God, our Heavenly Father. We struggle when we cannot make sense of things or when we can’t fix things for ourselves or others. Disharmony in our hearts occurs when we begin to doubt, fear, and question the sovereignty of God. Are you O.K. with that? Our doubts, anxieties, and fears create a mindset of uncertainty in God's power and His Amazing Grace. The antidote for a mindset of uncertainty is administered through the exercise of faith in God - Placing all of our eggs in God's basket that is limitless in power and overflows with His Amazing Grace. God is the Only One that we can bank on without fear of loss. May God give us the courage to examine the condition of our hearts.

When difficulties come, when adverse circumstances challenge you, STOP and examine your heart beep. What is causing the disharmony in your heart? What effects your heart will always effects your thought process and the condition of your spirit. How is your heart beep?