Giving Your Heart

When he was asked, Jesus said that the first and the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, strength, soul, and mind. 

In my first year teaching high school, I’ll never forget a student named Earnest. Earnest was failing. He often skipped class, and when he did show up it was almost as if he’d checked out before he even got there – wouldn’t even try. He had an “I’m here, because I’ve got to be here,” kind of attitude. 

I finally found the courage to call his mother, and she came in to talk to me. After a long conversation that felt like it was going nowhere, she said, “Ernest ain’t getting nothing out of your class.” Frustrated, I answered, “But Ernest ain’t putting nothing into my class.” After that, Ernest switched out of my class. He decided to take Latin. 

Have you noticed that we tend to put the most into those things that we care about the most, things that we love, things that we treasure?  

It’s also true that if you care enough about something or someone to put your heart and your soul into it – it is so rich – so rewarding. Think about a job or a relationship. But, if we give only half our heart – we never really get to experience the fullness of what it could be.

This is true also with our faith, isn’t it? When we make time for prayer and worship, when we give, and when we serve, our faith is most often alive and it is a resource we can draw on. 

I pray today that the fullness of God’s peace would rest upon you. May you know God’s love, forgiveness, and hope in the very deepest part of your being. And, may you respond with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.

Our prayer today was written by my friend Rev. Roger Kunkel. Let us pray: Awesome God of hill and valley, of sunshine and thunderstorm, of the tall pines of the forest and the humble forget-me-nots that bloom on the forest floor, or purring cats and snoring dogs, of popcorn and pizza, we that you for the gift of this day which is unlike any other day. Forgive us when we do not think of you, and help us to find our way back to who we really are in you, and to the joy of your salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.