“Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV).

I have mentioned before that I have heart issues. Every once in awhile, I have these spells of arrhythmia, always in the middle of the night, sometimes for longer period than others.

My doctor says they’re not dangerous, just annoying and disconcerting.

It happened the other night, but only for about 5 minutes, so I was grateful for that. But because it was the middle of the night, and I was alone because my husband is out of town, sleep was elusive for the rest of the night. And the regular skip that I have in my heartbeat was more noticeable and more pronounced because of my circumstances.

If only the sin and wickedness that hides in my heart could be felt as easily.

When the skip in my heartbeat becomes more pronounced, I do a check: what am I stressed about? Am I getting enough sleep? What am I taking control of that is the Lord’s to direct?

Since my husband is out of town and will be for another week still, the answers to the above questions the other night were: everything, no and everything. My guard on my heart was definitely down. Prayer is what it took to be on guard again.

Because I have been separated from my other half for too many days now, I also have to keep my heart guarded in another sense. And I pray that his heart is guarded as well. Vulnerability makes us weak. But he’s out of cell range most of the time, busy with his own schedule, as am I, so our communication is sporadic. Again, pray keeps up the guard as we spend so much time apart.

What will flow from my heart today? It is well guarded at the moment, so love, joy, peace and all those other wonderful fruit of the Spirit should be the result. May it ever be that way.

Thankful today for:
216. A good night’s sleep
217. Field trips
218. New ministry partners
219. God’s mercies–new every morning
220. Toddler hugs
221. Paychecks
222. My washing machine
223. Finding a fun new show on TV
224. The variety in God’s creation