An Understanding Heart - Proverbs 3:5 with a poem by Georgia Harkness, an observation and a prayer

SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

A POEM by Georgia Harkness titled, “The Understanding Heart”
Give me, O God, the understanding heart –
The quick discernment of the soul to see
Another’s inner wish, the hidden part
Of him who, wordless, speaks for sympathy.
I would be kind, but kindness is not all:
In aird places may I find the wells,
The deeps within my neighbor’s soul that call
To me, and lead me where his spirit dwells.
When Jesus lifted Mary Magdalene
And deed was wrought – but more; that there was seen
The bond of holy love for which I ask.
Give me, O God, the understanding heart,
Lit with the quickening flame Thou does impart.

AN OBSERVATION:
Words are cheap. They fly across the Internet faster than any mail carrier can speed them. Fingers type out a response. We hit “send” … and then it is too late to bring them back. If I had only waited … if I had only taken time to try to understand … if I had only prayed before responding … if I had only asked some questions … if I had only … if I had only … but the words were spoken, typed, written … they are not mine any longer. They cannot be retrieved. If I had only tried to understand where the other person was coming from, what was on their heart, knew something about how they were raised, tried to understand the influences of parental guidance.

Is this your experience too?

And yet, the internet is filled to overflowing with words … words of judgment, words of criticism, words of fault finding, words of excuses, words of anger, words of hate – empty words, false accusing words … yes, words are cheap, but oh, the damage!

If I had only had an understanding heart … if only …

PRAYER:
It is surgery for which I pray this day, O Lord, surgery on my heart … surgery to replace my heart with one that will take the time to understand … a heart that is connected to listening ears and a caring spirit. Come perform the surgery and make me better. Amen.