Hearting our heading

Last month at Thursday Montage (an informal gathering of artists in the Richmond Hill art space), Andrew Terry shared his banner—an art object he made 6-7 years ago—that articulated for him a unique understanding of where he was/is headed.

He mapped his call. He “pictured” his idea, his longing, his place. Andrew might tell you he is not an artist, but he used these artist tools: imagination, hands, heart—and he created a map of his own making. He devised a vision, if not a place, of where he is heading. And he pondered it in his heart.

When his seminary studies were complete, Andrew received two wonderful job offers. How did he pick the place where he is? He went with what was in his heart. And the banner helped him see it clearly.

So, can hearting have an impact on heading? How do we pay attention to our interior signs? (Is this a personal showing of prophecy?)

Who planted the desire in our hearts in the first place?  It can take a lifetime to figure out what is there. That task is not easy. With all that's going on around us it is hard to pay attention to what's going on within.

Sometimes, there is the possibility of a leaping heart, as in “my heart leapt at” the sound of her voice, or the sight of his smile—the sight or sound of something we know to be significant comes from deep within our core. We may not have ever seen it or heard it before, but when we do experience it, we recognize it immediately as holding some big significance for us.

If we cannot find the feeling firsthand, there are other means to point our way. Words, story, or poetry often can carry the clues to where we are heading, by showing us what touches our heart.

What about hurt? Does hurting affect hearting? Sometimes it does. Hurt and pain can point to the end of a road. The hurt from an aching heart can be a big indicator of loss.

And loss can point us in the direction of found.

Hearting helps with heading. It serves to balance logic with emotion. It gets us to the neighborhood of where we want to go. If you operate with “I’ll know it when I see it,” then drawing close is almost as good as being there. For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). But Goethe says it best: “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”

Richard Rumble
February 2013