‘What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men …… That is what love looks like.’ - St. Augustine

Monday, June 25, 2012

What Would It Be?



If you had to have something written on your heart, indelible, what would it be? Would it be one word or a quote? Would it be someone's name? A mantra or motto? A plea? A shout-out to God or the universe? A cry? A poem?

And would you hide it or reveal it? Would you use to it teach others or shock them? Would you guard it or share it with, even, strangers?

I'd love to hear your answer...


EDIT: I posted this yesterday and a full 382 people have stopped by to read it in the past 24 hours, but only two responded. Two!  I'm curious why most people don't respond. Am I not inviting enough? Does the question seem rhetorical? Do I only have an audience of lurkers in the summer? I'm curious as to why so many blog readers never comment. Any ideas?


I'd still really and truly love to hear your answer:)

24 comments:

  1. Oh what a great post!

    I am going to think on this and then post my reply.

    I am also going to post same on my blog and link back to here :]

    Hope that is ok?


    Hugs


    Kimmie
    Aus.

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    1. Kimmie, of course! Just make sure you come by and post your answer when you have one:) I'm anxious to hear responses!

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  2. This is hard. I keep coming back to "Beloved," because I don't feel loved or worthy of it most of the time. I don't deserve it. But, just as the statement, "You are beautiful" is an expression of fact and not opinion, the truth is that I am beloved of my Creator, whether I feel like it or not. So it would be a reminder to me of facts and not my own feelings; it could be an inspiration to others who feel unlovable; it could spur me on to at least *try* to behave like a beloved person - behaving in a more lovely way through my days. And when things are really bad, inside and out, I could press myself up against that word and remind myself that even if I feel no one else loves me or even should, there is One who always has and always will.

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    1. Beautiful. I LOVE it. It might just be the exact same word for me <3. And I love what you said about pressing up against the word to remind yourself on the bad days. I love you!

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    2. I love you also, as I do hope you know <3 - and check your email too because I sent you one! I think.....XOXOXO and a {hug} for you.

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  3. i think i would have Life Love and Laughter or simply just FAMILY. My family are everything to me and i would happily scream it to the world :)

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    1. LOVE IT! Especially the 'happily scream it' part!

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  4. Anonymous6:15 AM

    I think I would have written 'Nothing is impossible' because sometimes God gives you things that may seem impossible and you need to remember that you can overcome anything and that you will only come out stronger afterwards.

    For us some of our challanges have been a four year BATTLE to adopt the bio brother of one of our sons, 5 kids who all have medical needs, a child with RAD, ect. but we have risen to the challenge and have found that things that we thought were impossible really aren't.....

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  5. Keri, I think people are not commenting because they genuinely don't know! If I had to choose one word or phrase, I would want to think about it a long while, to be sure before I "officially" claimed it as my own. So, the only one that comes to me quickly is one I have already claimed--"Blessed." (Which I pronounce "bless-ed" not "blesst"--the first is just so much more sonorous. : ) I felt like God gave that name to me years ago, and I use it as my online persona. It reminds me not only of who I am in Christ, and who I want to be, but also how much I am truly blessed by my life, my children, etc. So, the name has layers of meaning for me--and it is so fun to see how the word pops out from Scripture and make me feel like it was written just for me. (And sometimes it feels like it was at that moment--just what I needed to hear!)

    I am also "taking in" at the moment--I'm unhappy with some negative patterns of relating with my kids that I want to change, and I have been listening to other moms' catch-phrases, house rules, etc. because I want my family to sit down and choose those we will choose to live by in our home. One of them is "be a blessing." It encompasses so much, and is a good thing to have in the back of my head as I choose at any moment how to respond to someone/some situation. I would love for that idea to seep into my kids through us practicing it as a family lifestyle.

    May God fill you with His wisdom and love! And as you are still and listening, I hope you feel yourself and your children safely held in the cradle of His hands.

    much love,

    Blessed ('cause I AM!)

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  6. "Wisdom. Patience. Strength" :)

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  7. Hi Keri!

    The last few lines of the Robert Frost poem, "The Road Not Taken" have defined much of my adult life, and I can imagine the lines might apply to you as well:

    "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
    I took the one less traveled by,
    And that has made all the difference."

    We love you, Keri, are rooting for you, and really enjoy reading your blog posts.

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  8. I didn't comment because I have too many things I can't decide on one. lol.

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  9. Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.
    -Churchill

    It's just so fitting in to my life. It give's me strength when I need it.

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  10. I am loving ALL of these! Thank you for responding!!

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  11. How funny. I started to read your EDIT, and thought you were going to write that since 382 people had responded, you were overwhelmed and shutting it down!

    It is hard though. While I believe God loves me, maybe I don't feel all that worthy...or it seems like the thing on my heart should be MY note to HIM. In which case, it is probably something like: "Trying".

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  12. Too many possibilities! Boiling it down to two - they would be "Resurrection is Real" and "Love One Another" -- Blessing to you Keri! Jennie TCO

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  13. There's a ton of quotes that I love! I guess for me I'd put Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This applies to my life, since I'm in a transition stage and still unsure about where I'll end up next, and that quote gives me strength!

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  14. Keri,
    There is something written on my heart, indelible. :) And yes, I would share it, and hopefully, I live it, every day.
    The Love of Christ is written on my heart. The GOSPEL, good news, is written on my heart.
    The call from Scripture to LOVE, and to care for the orphan and widow is written on my heart.
    I pray that LOVE, indelible, is etched there forever....

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  15. Daughters, family or love. Perhaps shame if I was in a bad place but more likely family :)

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  16. Anonymous9:17 AM

    Jake

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  17. Anonymous12:36 PM

    Dear Keri,
    when i read your question I didn't know what to answer, then I saw your "edit" - why do I have no clue about what is written on my heart? Maybe because first of all I have to listen - as you wrote in another post. My feelings about what is written on my heart look like "lost". I know that this is not the truth, just irritable feelings. But for the mark GOD has signed on to my heart - I need time to listen, to find it, AND to believe it.
    sending you my best wishes -
    steffi

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  18. "If music be the food of love, play on"

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  19. Anonymous12:52 AM

    Try.

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