Preparing My Heart
First thing every morning, I ring a bell that sits on my bedside table. It’s a little golden bell with a pink ribbon tied to it and when I ring it I say the words, “today is a gift.”
A few days ago, not long after saying, “today is a gift,” my day took an unpleasant turn. I’d had everything planned out. All my “to do’s” written neatly in my planner, ready to be checked off the list. First was fulfilling orders. Sounds simple enough. Only it wasn’t because Ship Station was having technical issues that day. It took me two hours to realize the problem was on their end and not mine. I sighed loudly thinking of those wasted hours.
Next on my list was story edits. One of my stories was recently acquired by Tyndale (I’m so excited about this and will tell you more about it in the P.S. below!) I’d begun working on the edits a month ago and was all set to send them back to my editor. But then, when I went to look over the original document my editor had sent me, I noticed when I shifted my screen to the left, there were all these comments I hadn’t seen before, lined up on the right. So I’d edited my story without even looking at the editor’s comments! I’d only taken into account what I’d seen on my screen, which was a lot more basic. My heart dropped. I searched for the words to explain my mistake as I drafted an email to my editor. It seemed unlikely I would make the deadline . . .
While I waited for a response, I took a walk down the street with my husband. A yellow-jacket buzzed around me. I told my husband, “today it’s not a question of if this bee is going to sting me. It’s only a question of how many times.” My husband laughed and that made me laugh too.
You know those days?
Sometimes I remember to call out to the Lord when I’m in trouble, and to lean on Him and trust Him when life is not going as I’d planned. But sometimes I have a complaining heart.
A while back I ran across a verse in 2 Chronicles 12 that says, “And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.” I love that because it reminds me that it’s possible to prepare my heart to seek the Lord.
I think ringing that little golden bell and saying, “today is a gift” is one way to prepare my heart to seek Him. Reading scripture and dwelling on it is another. Talking to friends who trust in the Lord is always helpful and encouraging. Spending time praising God is probably the best way I’ve found.
Preparing my heart to seek the Lord doesn’t guarantee that I’ll perform perfectly. But it does make me more inclined to trust Him. And more inclined to correct my grumbling heart and turn back toward Him quickly when I’ve turned away.
As I walked back up the driveway to our house, I remembered the words I often say when I make a mistake on a painting and have to correct it. I’m about to learn something amazing. I smiled. I asked God to forgive me for not asking for His help and for grumbling instead. When I got back inside I found that my editor had sent such a gracious response. The deadline was extended, no problem. Also, as it turned out,I wasn’t stung by that bee a single time.
Blessings to you today as you prepare your heart to seek the Lord,
~Amy
P.S. I am beyond thrilled that a story I’ve written, currently titled, The Way Back Home, has been acquired by Tyndale House Publishers! Talia Messina, an acquisitions editor for Tyndale, is the one who championed my story and there are not enough words to express how grateful I am for her help, kindness, and vision! This is the largest project I’ve ever taken on and I’m so excited to get started on the illustrations! It will take a year to complete. It’s a steep mountain I can hardly wait to climb!
If you’d like to follow along as I illustrate my story, make sure you’re signed up for my email list!