Discover the Desires of Your Heart

I’ve always been a dreamer. Big ideas and an over active imagination are part of who God made me. I’ve found those attributes have been a blessing to share with others, but I’ve also learned that not everyone in your life will understand or appreciate the way God designed you.

Recently, someone told me I needed to put on my rose shaded glasses to deal with a situation in my life that I’ve been struggling with. They encouraged me to look through these invisible shaded lenses and pretend the world was different then the way I’d been seeing it for the past few months.

I couldn’t do it.

I couldn’t lie to myself and turn a blind eye to the consequences of recent choices. But I tried. I listened to the people who meant well. I took their advice and realized too late the mistake I made.

I hadn’t listened to my heart.

My favorite verse is Psalms 37:4. It says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart.”

In the days after making a life changing decision for my family, I wallowed in regret, depression and self-worth. I allowed others to dictate to me all the things that were wrong in my life. And worst, I allowed myself to believe them. These were people who had never lived in the places I did. They didn’t experience the life situations I did. They hadn’t met the people I knew or supported the dreams I had. My heart’s desires were nothing but the ramblings in their ears, and I found myself led astray.

“For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name, I have not sent them, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:8-9

Through the consequence of this decision, I found a pair of rose shaded glasses can’t help you find your way when you’re lost. It’s a terrible feeling not knowing what direction you should go when there are so many people and things in your life spinning your internal compass.

When I came to my wit’s end, I gave up on trying to “see” where to go and heard the whispers within. I started to listen to my heart. When you stop and search deep within your heart’s desires, you can feel where you belong.

Even if it means going back to the place you left and abandoning the plans others have made for you.

Listening to your heart may not make sense to others, and it’s taken me these many months to realize life choices don’t always make sense to those who don’t walk in our shoes. We are all destined to lead different paths and take different journeys.

That’s why I’m so thankful that when many of us invite Jesus into our heart that it’s like planting an internal GPS into our core. Let it direct you.

When everyone and everything in your life is pointing you toward a certain direction, throw away those rose-tinted glasses.

Look at life the way you are supposed to see it.

Embrace the places and the people that ‘feel’ right.

It is when we follow our heart, that God will not allow us to be led astray.

Photo credits:

Danielle Elder via creative commons flickr

Feature photo:  Kasia via creative commons flickr