|
It’s
February! And that brings all things related to the heart to the
forefront of our minds as we think of our loved ones, especially those
we are engaged to marry; our spouses of one day, one year, or
sixty-plus years; and anyone in our lives who is special. Love is in
the air, and Cupid is shooting arrows of romance around the world.
Chocolate and flowers and getaways are being planned. Reservations for
dinner to that special restaurant are being made. It’s a time to
celebrate love. And I’m such a sap for all things romantic. Historical
romance writer, go figure.
Our hearts desire love.
Celebrate the awesome love that God blesses each of us with today and
every day.
Wounded Hearts
Last year I attended the funeral
of a friend who was forty-five. Her devastated husband will suffer a
seriously wounded heart for a long time to come. Not every Valentine’s
Day is a happy one, so we must care for hurting, lonely hearts in our
lives. If you know someone who has lost a loved one, this might be an
opportunity for you to share your love and reach out to someone who is
healing from a broken heart.
Our men and women in the
military suffer from long separations and ache to see their loved ones.
It’s not easy keeping long distance marriages and relationships strong.
So this Valentine’s Day say a prayer for couples separated by
responsibilities of military duty.
Heart Disease
Our physical hearts need care.
It’s no secret that if we don’t take care of our hearts we will suffer
the consequences. Some of those consequences can be: 1) a fluttering in
your chest. These palpitations can be a sign of disease and is not to
be confused with romantic love that makes the pulse race; 2)
lightheadedness, also a symptom of romantic love for some heroines in
romance novels, can be a real-life symptom that our hearts have a
problem; 3) fainting, not romantic swooning, is a sign of problems of
the heart.
In my Bible for Hope, the
introduction to the last book of the Old Testament states, “Malachi
reminds us that spiritual heart disease is slow but deadly. People who
stop seeking God become discouraged and apathetic.” This is just one
reason it is important for us to continue to seek God in our daily
lives, to pray, to study the Word.
Poetic Hearts
When was the last time you wrote
a love letter or poem to someone you love? I think you should try this
year. Go ahead, you’re a writer, after all; you can do this.
Here’s
some poem excerpts to get
you warmed up. Since I write historical romance I’ll pick a few lines
from different poems throughout history to inspire your imaginations.
From
“The Highwayman”
One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I’m after a prize to-night,
But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;
Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,
Then look for me by moonlight,
Watch for me by moonlight,
I’ll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way.
Alfred Noyes (1880−1958)
|
From
“She Walks in Beauty”
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes . . .
Lord Bryon
Or maybe you’d rather
write a song. For inspiration, check out Diana Ross’s “Aint No Mountain
High Enough” or “And I Love Her” by the Beatles.
Loving Hearts
To be strong writers we need to
take good care of all aspects of our hearts. God is revealed in the
love in our relationships and the love that shines through in our
writing.
1 John 4:12 says, “No one has
seen God at anytime. If we love one another, God abides in us . . . By
this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given
us of His Spirit” (NASB).
As well writers we are at our
best to share God’s love in our novels. I encourage you to take care of
yourselves. Wear red on February 3 http://www.goredforwomen.org/.
Encourage others to take good care of their hearts, and maybe even
share your heart’s desire with someone else. For more information on
issues of the heart, please visit The American Heart Association at
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/
Have a heart healthy month and
spread it throughout your year!
|
