Tuesday 17 September 2013

Heartsong

'Journey through Heartsongs' by Mattie JT Stepanek, one of my favourite poetry books. I first saw Mattie on Oprah, he was a bright, happy and spirit filled young boy, I could feel him living out his Heartsong, even though I was watching him on tv.  Mattie was an 11 yr old boy living with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy. He sadly lost 3 of his siblings to the same disease and his mother also suffered with it. This young boy touched so many lives with his wisdom, poetry and insight to a place many of us rarely see.

Mattie was, in my eyes an Angel that lived Gods beauty, presence and purpose. He loved his mind and body, even though he was in a permanent wheelchair and had almost no use of his body, most people would look at him and say he was disabled, but I don't believe Mattie saw himself as disabled at all. In fact I believe he was more able than most people.

In his poetry he expressed his sadness of missing his brothers and sister, his happiness of Gods grace and his dreams, one of them being that someday he would see his brothers and sister again. His simple explanations of life, his disease, God and family touch our hearts because they are truth in the rawest form and seen through the eyes of a child. Mattie expressed his Heartsong through words, when the rest of his body was failing him....sadly Mattie died in 2004. I am sure Mattie smiled all the way to heaven and his brothers and sister were there to greet him.

One of Mattie's biggest heroes was Jimmy Carter, former U.S. President. Mattie always dreamt of meeting Jimmy Carter and not only did he meet him, Jimmy Carter wrote the Forward in Mattie's book, expressing they were personal friends.

Going to a conference this week at my church has made me reconnect with my Heartsong. The speaker, Greg Burson, spoke about the music/song in our hearts. This not only literal music that has so many memories attached to it from different stages of my life,  but the passions and stirrings God has placed and is singing to my soul. Life's circumstances take us away from our Heartsong, but the stirring I can no longer ignore.

What I discovered about my Heartsong is that it has been a pattern of the things in my life that have made me happy and full of energy. It is the things that have niggled in my spirit in many different ways but ignored because I never thought they were possible or I was never good enough or someone always does it better.  

God sees us differently. He whispers to us through words, songs, people and a stirring in our spirit. It is that constant feeling in you that the ordinary things in life just don't fulfil or have meaning and no matter what you try and do, your thoughts just keep going back to a place you know you need to pursue. 

Having our eyes and hearts open to see the works God is doing and step into the opportunities that become available when they feel right and they sing to you. God will not take you anywhere you are not meant to be, but there will be challenges and fears to conquer and times you will need to walk in faith.  Like a child relies on a parent to lead, we need to rely on God to take us through and know what's best for us. The difference between parents and God, is God knows your future, your capabilities and your purpose, trust He will not give you anything you cannot handle.

Finding your Heartsong can be the easy part, stepping into it is the challenge. Look back at your life, see the pattern from when you were a child, what made you happy? What have you carried within you all your life, maybe its something you need to rediscover. If so then sit with God and ask him to show you and to stir your Heartsong. Be conscious of what you feel and see and the people that come into your life and why they are there, the context of the books you pick up and the words of the songs you listen to, there are messages in all of it, God never stops talking to us, we just stop listening.

As Mattie titles his book 'Journey through Heartsongs', it is your journey, through your Heartsongs, your pathway to fulfilment and Enlightenment and your choice to start listening.