Tuesday November 3 2015  FELT WITH THE HEART

Work week at the Martens abode.  Well, at least for me.  It has been 10 days since Dave’s surgery and he still has seven more weeks before he is able to do more than walk and lift anything more than 15 pounds.  No bending, stooping, filling the dishwasher’s lower shelf, vacuuming, snow throwing, mopping, mowing or much else.  He can walk however.  He has been doing over 10,000 steps a day per his fitbit that he wears on his wrist.  He walks on the treadmill and then wears the carpet out in the house.  It was confirmed today at the Doctor’s office that Dave has officially lost 62 pounds since his hospitalization in July.

Today it was nice enough outside to walk in the street (remember, we don’t have sidewalks).  He walked while I cleaned the garage.  It was supposed to be a quick easy clean up, rearranging a few things, loading the goodwill bags in the car, preparing the potting shelf for food storage.  Well, it didn’t quite work out that way. 

I wasn’t going to write about this but for some reason it just seems pertinent to talk about what I did today.  We have two large blue quilted moving blankets that we use for winter insulation around the produce boxes that are kept in the garage.  Well, last spring (it was stilling snowing here) when I left on my big trip there was a lot of things happening all at once.  I was having a biopsy to see if I had cancer, the trip was postponed for the results, I was madly trying to pack and finish up wedding work, going to the doctor practically every day for some sort of testing, and I forgot about one very important matter.  Nor, in the course of 4 months did it even cross my mind to have Dave check it.  I left some produce in the garage all bundled up in the thick insulation blankets so it wouldn’t freeze.  The potting shelf is tucked back beside a freezer and not forefront in your mind as you come and go in the garage.  Well, today I went out to straighten things up, opened up the blanket and was assaulted in the olfactory area of my brain. P.U.!!  I won’t even begin to try to describe it to you.  Needless to say, I had a bit more work to do than I originally thought.  But I did it!  I will never again forget to make certain to put all organic matter elsewhere before I take off on another trip.  And of course Dave, being a man and not the one that takes care of the produce never gave it another thought.  And for four months while traveling, and the four months since I’ve been home, neither did I.  Between the garage and the laundry room I worked most of the afternoon.  Thankfully the other insulation blanket was okay.  The large one had to have a few washings and is now hanging on the neighbor’s outdoor clothesline.  I think I have learned my lesson.  Maybe the blanket will be dry by Thursday when our winter order arrives.

I wanted to clean the rest of the garage so I pulled the potting table out of the garage so it could dry in the sun after the scrubbing I gave it.  In the course of that action I somehow messed up my right elbow.  Now I type with an ice pack on it hoping it will allow it to again bend so I can get my hand to my mouth.  This is not a time when I have the luxury of being infirm.  Other than messing my elbow up it has been what my bloggers may think of as a dull day.  But to me there never seems to be a dull day around here.  I LOVE HAVING DULL DAYS.  Of course to me, what may be dull to others is never dull to me.  That’s when I sneak away and read and study and spend time with God and pray and write.  For me, that is an exciting day!   

As I was writing the little story of my day I started thinking about how the overlooked mess of last spring sort of relates to how our lives go.  Sometimes we have things we put on the back burner of our heart and mind; hurts, unforgiveness, anger, and a myriad of other situations, and then forget them for a while.  The trouble is, that which we do not take care of, does not allow us to forget them.  In some way they will eventually rear their head.  They may become worse as memory distorts them.  Just like in the case of my forgotten produce, that which is not tended will begin to spoil, become rancid, start smelling, and affect other conditions.  Stuffed emotional pain can lead to stress, illness, frustration, negative attitudes and will eventually need to be cleaned up.  And like my produce turning rancid, untended emotional pain can also begin to spoil affecting other areas of one’s life.  

Take time to take a deep look inside and check to see if there are those you need to forgive, if there is anger that needs to be let go of, or grudges that need to be dismissed.  Remember, when you get rid of all the stuffed emotional pain, it is you that it benefits, not necessarily the one you forgive.  I remember one time in my life that I held on to some painful memories and unforgiveness toward another.  This person was no longer living and I was still allowing the pain of the past to affect my life.  It wasn’t until I was actually able to forgive that person for the pain inflicted upon me that I was able to be free in my own spirit and get on with my life.  It wasn’t for the benefit of the person who had wronged me that I forgave, it was for the healing of my own inner heart.  If you have any emotional pain tied to another person, do yourself a favor and forgive them.  They may never know that you forgave them, but it is you who will be set free.  Don’t let it slowly cause you to decay and become rancid like my untended fruit.

I think today’s Calendar Wisdom above is right on.  “THE BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN THE WORLD CANNOT BE SEEN OR EVEN TOUCHED.  THEY MUST BE FELT WITH THE HEART.”  I believe forgiveness is one of those beautiful things that must be felt with the heart.  I hold no animosity, anger or hurt toward the one who offended me.  Now I am free to be me, to feel the joy that life offers, to extend my love to others, and to have a relationship with God knowing I am living in the obedience of His scripture,  “and God forgives us our sin as we forgive others”.  Don’t let unforgiveness rob you of your peace of mind.  Don’t let anything rot inside you.  Take care of it in a timely manner, clean up the messes of your life, and go forth allowing the beautiful things of this life to be felt with your heart.  

FELT WITH THE HEART

By Kathleen Martens

November 3, 2015

Peace of mind is free indeed

Since Jesus died upon the tree.

He died for sorrow and for pain,

To live is Christ, to die is gain.

His Kingdom now has come,

And His will need be done,

Even while here on earth,

For in heaven is its worth.

He provides our bread

And we are daily fed.

He forgives our sins when we ask,

Never taking us to task.

For His is the kingdom power and glory,

Forever shall we tell His story,

That peace of mind is free indeed

Since Jesus died upon the tree.

The poem above is inspired by The Lord’s Prayer.  Now I know why I titled this blog FELT WITH THE HEART.  The Lord’s prayer is one of my favorite passages in the Bible and every time I read it or speak it aloud I truly feel it with my heart.  It is one of those beautiful things that cannot be seen or even touched.

TOMORROW IS MY SISTER FAITH’S BIRTHDAY.  AGAIN, A FORGETFUL SISTER AM I!  I FORGOT TO SEND A CARD.  SO I SAY WITH ALL MY HEART AND LOVE…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FAITH NADINE!

LOVE,

WANDA KATHLEEN

Good night one and all.