From the Head to the Heart, you take me on a journey

Hi friends!

Today I’m going to share about how the Lord opened up my heart and now I have a WIDE OPEN HEART.  

So, our amazing teacher and man of God Gary teaches on the heart during the annual “Heart Week.”  He lectures on how we actually take in things from the Spirit from the heart and that is where true wisdom comes from and each person’s heart is different dependent on their unique God-given personality. 

So, at G42, we were constantly encouraged to get out of our heads into our hearts. Head to the Heart is the longest journey you’ll ever take, as they say. So, as Westerners, we are very intellectual and information-based and so we tend to primarily live out of our heads. We need both the head (the mind) and the heart to function properly but oftentimes, we use our minds more than our hearts and the Lord only speaks to your heart, not your mind. What you sense from God in your heart gets translated by your mind and that’s what you perceive with your thoughts that He’s saying. At least this is my interpretation of it. 

For most of my life, I have lived primarily out of my head. I studied in school and majored in biology and pursued a medical career. The mind is definitely prized in any science-related career. So, I realized this past year that I had lost touch with my heart.  First semester, I was definitely in my head a lot and overthinking everything. I was afraid to speak up in class because, “What if it wasn’t really a word from God?” or “Someone else will say it, so why should I bother?” Etc etc. I was trapped in a lot of lies from the Enemy that were constantly swirling in my head. I was encouraged by other interns and staff to “Get out of your head.” However, I didn’t know how to do that or if I even could do that. So, needless to say, I was frustrated.  Funny thing is, you can’t use your head (mind) to get out of your head. You can only get out of your head by opening up your heart. 

So, slowly but surely over the first and second semesters, I had gotten more into my heart. So much so that Gary even commented randomly one day that “Those are my heart people” in reference to my 2 friends and me. I was astonished that He would now see me as a heart person who primarily lives from the heart, not the head. 

God was slowly showing me how to live from an open heart. The pivotal moment occurred on November 5, 2019. We were finishing up heart week and the Spirit was moving. At one point, Gary asked anyone interested to come to the front of the class if you would like more “unveiling of your heart.” I thought, “Well, my heart is already pretty open and I honestly feel like I’m living out of my heart finally. I don’t really need this. But, why the heck not? I’ll take more healing and impartation.”  So, I go up front. 

This was a major transformation as first semester, I would have been all in my head and too scared to go up front. God is working and I start crying and confess closing my heart towards a loved one and I repent and declare that I will fight to keep an open heart towards that person no matter their actions or if I’m hurt by them.  I then encouraged everyone else in the circle to repent for how they’ve treated one person in their lives and pray for that person publicly. One by one, everyone follows suit and each of us got healed in some way that afternoon. God was healing our hearts, one declaration at a time. We stepped out in faith and He showed up as He always does. Gary found me after class and said, “You know today was for you, right? I’ve never seen your heart more wide open before ever.”  I smiled and said I agreed. 

Truly, the Lord has done a wonder and a miracle in my heart these 9 months at G42. I am better able to hear His voice and more conscious of others’ pain and emotions. I am willing to live by faith and not by sight. If it doesn’t make sense in your head and it’s a new idea that requires risk but lines up with the heart of God and scripture, it’s probably God speaking to you. He asks us to look foolish in the eyes of the world but the payoff is so GOOD. And, open hearts OPEN hearts. My heart has become so healed and open through G42 and now when I walk into a room, without saying or doing anything, my open heart opens others’ hearts. That’s how it works in the Kingdom. It’s so powerful and yet so simple. 

All of this is just a testimony to God’s patience and grace in my life. If you’re willing to let Him into a walled-off chamber of your heart, He’s willing to heal you. It might be painful but it’ll definitely be worth it. You don’t have to take my word for it. Try it yourself! 

All my love from my WIDE OPEN HEART,

Raina 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” 

Proverbs 3:5

“Believe it or not, you think with your heart, not your head. You have to train yourself to shut out the noise in your head by contemplation. Wisdom, understanding, and eternity are all in the heart.” 

-THE Gary Black

“Best way to maintain an open heart: confession and risk”

-THE Gary Black