Roll Up Your Sleeves so Your Heart Doesn't Get Dirty!

For a large part of my life I never fully understood the saying, "wearing your heart on your sleeve". But, after a few years of learning a lot about myself and hearing others opinions about my character I have determined that my heart is embroidered on just about every sleeve in my closet. I try to be happy most of the time (or at least appear happy) but more and more it seems that I do not do as good a job as I thought. I also develop very strong emotional/sentimental feelings quickly which can really mess with your heart.

http://www.gomedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/broken-heart-syndrome.jpg

Insider Scoop: For any male reading this post...Women (there are always exceptions to things but I am fairly confident that there is a high percentage of women who fit the following action) tend to over-think/complicate

things. Well, really, everything. This happens even more frequently when there is an association to our emotions or heart. (especially with love (or what some women think is love)).

I'm no going to lie, I have absolutely lost sleep over some guy and I have nothing to show for it. I literally could not sleep because my mind kept flipping through interactions with him. How he smiled at me when he entered the room, the sound of his laugh when we were talking, how our arms brushed when we were sitting next to each other.....etc. All of the events are trivial but they kept playing and re-playing in my head and quickly you develop an imaginary relationship with this person. You end up flipping through everything that would make the two of you a great couple. I have even re-told the different events to other people to get an 'unbiased' opinion. (when it is still biased because I'm telling the events and I get to pick what parts I tell and what ones I leave out). You can even enjoy this whole process to a point because you feel like there is this real thriving relationship between you and some guy when really he was just being a good friend. (ie. smiling at you when you see him or asking how your week was) While it is fun to 'feel' like your in a relationship, this is not exactly healthy. You can make this an obsession and there should be one relationship that becomes your obsession: your relationship with God.

What I have been trying to get to with all of this babbling insight into my persona is that I have been trying to roll up my sleeves to protect my heart. When God designed our bodies He put our heart (the organ/muscle) hidden underneath a whole cage made out of bone and a thick layer of muscle and then some skin! He did this because of how important this organ is for our survival. Our skin (the largest organ) covers the outside of our bodies. As important as skin is, it was put over the rest of us because it is semi-permeable, and it is constantly dying and replacing itself. Organs with higher protection are ones that if damaged or lost would prove to be a big issue for the host (ie YOU). (why the heart and brain are tucked away nicely in their own little cottages).

If God spent so much time protecting our physical heart we should take more time and effort protecting and guarding our emotional heart! 

Proverbs 4:23
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

When our physical heart is damaged in some way the whole body is effected. Same thing when you allow your emotional heart to be exposed and it get's damaged, all aspects of who you are is effected. When the Bible says 'guard your heart' it doesn't mean lock it up and never let your emotions show. When the President of the United States is guarded he is still allowed to move about the White House (and even leave the White House). No matter where he is or what he is doing there is always a form of protection somewhere. In some areas it means that he is sandwiched in the middle of a pack of service men or in other instances there are just a few guards around a larger area allowing for the President to move about at his leisure.

Guarding your heart is also not only dealing with your romantic feelings either. Your heart needs protection from many different kinds of assailants. And, it takes practice too. It's not as easy as entering a code and the alarm is set. Think about where you wear your heart and if you need to roll up your sleeves a little.