Holding one's heart

[KeilCoppes]

A practical conjecture for those who need to rule their hearts well - this may mean almost nothing to most and will very likely be taken wrong. It may only make sense to folks of similar bent, and this is the first time I've ever tried to express it, so it'll likely come out knotted and weird to many.

Though still learning, I've found an interesting idea of balance, though it's still in work.

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Hold the working framework of your heart (the place in which you normally feel, think, and react) as though you never planned to get married and relying only on God. Start with that as the working (and only the working) basis. This is the outside shell that allows you to continue to exist from day to day, to work. In the event of emergency this is the place to go back to, and also serves as the panic room. It is like a castle built on the seashore. It is a place of structure and safety to work from, the walls built strong on the basis of God's love, and His never changing. It is the place in which only God makes any difference - all other relationships build on this.

Given the strong and stable position to start with, this can be filled with emotions, provided they don't overflow the structure. There is always a fallback position that will continue. This can even be filled with deep emotions, but the fundamentals of God's caring, of ultimately only needing Him are the bones of it all.

When it comes to others, though, you can open up the drawbridge, fly flags from the battlements, and go out to meet in the pastures beyond the castle. If things are difficult, you still have the castle to go back to. However, little by little another may be invited to share the various rooms in the castle, 'til in the end the castle is completely open and shared. No matter what, though, the walls still stand healthy and strong, with their own spring inside in God's caring, and if necessary, the doors can be closed to be opened again later.

Of course, one has to remember that the castle is there, and it takes regular maintenance to keep it healthy, both body and spirit.

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Is that totally confusing?

 

[invisiblebabe]

Makes a lot of sense.. I like it

What about the evil dragons trying to either guard the castle or eat up the walls, though?

 

[Highland Watchman]

Makes a lot of sense.. I like it

What about the evil dragons trying to either guard the castle or eat up the walls, though?

I think that's when our Holy Armour comes in.

to the OP: It makes a lot of sense to me. I very much agree with the metaphor. Would I be able to add to it a little?

If our hearts are like fortresses, and we have also been called to love one another, then there would be trade between any two of the many castles that line the countryside. There would also be alliances between the armies of those castles to rid them of certain threats, or to undertake certain quests for a given period of time. Our castles are like our home base, where we must defend from all threats from the enemy, but we must always remember that we are not alone in our fight, but that there are other castles nearby fighting the same enemy, and all fighting on the same side (for God)... Sorry if my addition ruined the metaphor, but it was fun to think up...

 

[the_man]

Is that totally confusing?

Makes absolute sense. I have on one to two occassions let others march around my castle walls (seven times)...I have also marched around others castle walls (seven times). Now I'm underconstruction to build to fortress of what that snippet talks about.

Thanks for the post.

 

[TriptychR]

I like your analogy. It's a good way to express the reliance on God's love that is so stressed on this forum.

 

[KeilCoppes]

Thanks for the encouragement - yes, there would be alliances between castles, but the optimum condition is where the residents can spend time living with one another (in marriage, or course).

I have to chuckle at the marching around castles seven times. So far the other walls have never fallen down flat! I have spent time in the last year camped with my horse down the hill from a castle, though. After a while I leaned back against a rock and let the horse watch for activity... In the end she came out and told me to go home because the readings from the tea leaves were confusing. That triggered a mudslide and I fell into the loch at the bottom of the hill. :^)

A good idea in looking, though, is that you're coming with greetings of peace and hope for others as an ambassador from a court owned by God.

 

[KeilCoppes]

ibabe - Yes, you do have to watch for the dragons in the cellar. Sometimes they try to come out and chew you up. And sometimes the sea waves crash against the wall, the cold fog comes in, and the cold winter builds walls of ice. That's the time you need to make sure you have a good and hearty fire going on inside and that you've stored up plenty of firewood to keep it going.