Windows to Your Heart

Windows to Your Heart

  “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

Matthew 12:34 NIV

 I can’t imagine a world without words. Can you? You may be aware that my wife and I “inherited” my Mother’s dog, Millie. Millie, an 11 pound Havanese, was simply too energetic for my almost 88 year-old mother to care for alone. So, Millie came to live at our house. Over the last year, I’ve learned to like Millie. The only problem Millie and I have is that we don’t communicate well. Millie will sit in front of me and stare at me, as if I’m supposed to be able to read her thoughts. Obviously, I can’t. So, I’ll run through her list of possible needs . . . Do you need to go out? Are you hungry? Do you want food? Do you want to go for a walk? Do you want to play? And every once in a while, I’ll say a key word that will prompt a response from Millie. She’s teaching me that words and how we say them, are vitally important. In fact, words are the windows to our heart.

    Author J. Allan Petersen tells about a flight he took on a 747 out of Brazil. He was awakened from sleep by a strong voice announcing, “We have a very serious emergency.” Three engines had quit because of fuel contamination and the fourth was expected to go at any second. The plane began to drop and turn in the night, preparing for an emergency landing.

    At first the situation seemed unreal to Petersen, but when the flight attendant barked, “Prepare for impact,” he found himself and everyone around him praying. As he buried his head in his lap and pulled up his knees, he said, “Oh, God, thank You. Thank You for the incredible privilege of knowing You. Life has been wonderful.” As the plane approached the ground, his last cry was, “Oh, God, my wife! My children!”

    Petersen survived. As he wondered about the airport in a daze, aching all over, he found that he couldn’t speak. But his mind was racing.  What were my last words? What was the bottom line?  As he remembered, he had his answer: relationship. Reunited with his wife and sons, he found that all he could say to them over and over was, “I appreciate you, I appreciate you!”

    Do you ever listen to what you’re saying? Have you told that person who matters to you most how you really feel? I don’t need to tell you that we live in a very tenuous world where life often hangs by a mere thread of existence. My friend, don’t assume that those who are closest to you know what’s in your heart. Tell them. Tell them regularly. Tell them what they mean to you. And tell them now. Yesterday is but a memory. Tomorrow may never come. But you have today. Make sure your dearest friends and family members know how much you love and appreciate them.

Thanks for reading Pastor Dale’s Mid-Week Encouragement. If you’re a regular attender or member of the Mt. Laurel Church of God, please consider reading  Isaiah 55:1-9 to get ready to hear God’s message through him this coming Sunday, March 23, 2025.

Called to pray for you, teach you and encourage you in your faith,

^{Pastor Dale}

Pastor Dale (PD) and Pamela his wife are honored to serve the Mt. Laurel Church of God. If this Mid-Week Encouragement has helped you, perhaps it may encourage someone else. Feel free to share this message with anyone you choose. And if you'd like to receive PD's Mid-Week Encouragement, just send an email to (kingdomguy@gmail.com) and I'll accommodate your request.