The Heart of God

This past week I started listening to a new podcast, the Poco a Poco podcast.  It is with members of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and in the few episodes I have listened to so far, there have been so many beautiful and profound statements and thoughts to ponder and reflect on.  The first episode I listened to was part of a series they were doing on the heart of God.  My main takeaway and reflection from the episode was how vital it is for us to have a deep encounter with the heart of God.

We can talk about God all day and learn all about who He is.  But to know about God and to have experienced His heart are two different things.  It is hard to describe what it is like to encounter the heart of God but when you have that experience, it is quite evident.  It changes you.  And it changes everything.  

God puts people in our lives who help remind us of His own heart for us.  They give us glimpses of the heart of the Father.  What do these encounters with the heart of God look like?  In my own experiences, these encounters have been times when people have spoken encouraging words, prayed over me, offered to help with something, or shared their knowledge and insight with me, just to name a few.  

When the people around us love well, we can begin to experience the goodness of God and come to know His love for us.  Once you have a personal encounter with God and experience His love, everything changes.  Each day, we can pray to be even more open to a deeper encounter.
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Lord, we want to know you.  Help us to not only know you, but to experience the deep and personal love you have for each and every one of us.  Open our hearts wide so that we may receive your love and all that you want to give us more fully.  Thank you for showing us your love through the people in our lives.  May we see a glimpse of the love you have for us and be a vessel of your love for others.  Lead us to a deeper encounter with your heart.  Amen.