I was speaking with a friend of mine several weeks ago when I heard words that I have not heard in many years – in fact, since I was a young child in the presence of my grandmother. She used to say that “my heart is full” – the same words that I heard my friend say. In fact, I was somewhat surprised to hear these words again – especially from a man…
For some reason, they resonated with me. I was taken back to my childhood and remembered when I was a very young boy. Grandma would tell us that her heart was full when we were around her. As we got older, I don’t think we heard the phrase as much but maybe that was because we weren’t as innocent as we were as young kids…
As I get older, I have a better understanding of what it means to have a full heart. At least in my case, it has to do with being at peace and when all is right with the world. Sometimes, it is when I am watching the family interact at a dinner together. Or when I see our kids interacting with our grandchildren with wild abandon. Those times can’t be scripted – they are organic and just happen… And when I mean I am at peace, I mean a deep, divine peace that only comes from having a relationship with God. Admittedly, I don’t live all the time with a full heart, but I sure love it when it happens. It is a special time.
Usually, when I hear that someone else has a full heart, it is a reference to their families and how everything is in balance. Other times, it has to do with that divine peace that I mentioned earlier; the one that we can, on occasion, experience. In any event, the phrase is used to describe happy, content, grateful or excited emotions that we have. But that wasn’t always the case.
In biblical times, it was thought that the kidneys were one of the organs where emotions were stored. At various times, it was thought that pleasant emotions were centered in the kidneys and negative emotions were in the liver. The heart, while being the seat of the whole person, wasn’t referenced nearly as much as other organs of the body. Of course, that eventually changed…
But “my heart is full” seems to be going the way of so many other phrases from the old days. It just isn’t as popular as it once was. However, that doesn’t mean that we should discontinue its use. Sometimes, it’s just appropriate to be vulnerable and let someone know that your heart is full.
Paul, the author of our verse for tonight, discusses the heart in his letter to the Colossians. Paul tells us, in Colossians 2:2, “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ…” Notice how Paul mentions our hearts and being united so that we can have the “full” riches of God.
My encouragement this evening is that God, our Creator, wants us to have a full heart. It is in this way that we can be in the closest relationships with our families, other people and with God. My prayer is that we will yearn for those times in our lives when we can be free of strife, experience divine peace and be in close communion with God. Then, we can all claim full hearts – a place that we should all want to be. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…