EDEN-APPLE-HEART: My Heart (Part 3 of 3)

This is the final post in a three-part series. If you missed the first two parts, check out My Eden and My Apple first.

This has been a fun series of posts — both to write my story and to hear yours. I was so inspired by all the feedback from Part 2, and I hope you all will boldly share your stories in the comments of this final post as well.

Love your stories.

So, for the last time, let me hand it off to my musically illustrious blogging companion and let him introduce this final “heart-stirring” topic:

Brandon’s heart is predictable, and I suppose mine is as well.

My heart is writing.

Brandon Heath: Eden Apple Heart 3

When I think back to my Edenesque upbringing in eastern Pennsylvania, there was a particular reason why I enjoyed escaping to the Methodist church parking lot time and time again. My story-driven mind was always tabulating tales of thrills and glory. Riding my bike to that church with my siblings and cousin — or even alone — enabled me to act out some of my fantastic fictional creations.

Back at my house, I was often writing. I got my first journal when I was 7 or 8 years old and I would fill up many notebooks with my stories. Even wrote three “books” as a kid, distributing them to my extended family. Remember my inaugural “Creator” post, when I blogged about my magnum opus, Invisble Jonny (misspelling intentionally unintentional)? Good times.

I’ve been writing for almost as long as I can remember, and yet I entered college wholly ignorant of pursuing writing academically. I actually started out college as a math major firmly set on never taking another English or writing class again. I just didn’t like writing or reading for grades.

I’m so thankful God opened the eyes of my heart by the end of that first year; three years later, I graduated with an A.B. in English.

So here I am, for better or worse. I feel in my bones that God’s given me this calling to write in whatever form He’d have me do so, and I’m thankful for the encouragement and support from countless family members and friends regarding this assertion.

I love to write about the silly things (I mean, hello), but I really love to write about the serious stuff of life that deeply matters.

One of my first committed steps into writing came with crafting my first novel over two years ago — an arduous journey that still continues today. This story borrows many elements from my own life, and I long for the day when you all may read it.

I love how Brandon Heath sums up this series, regarding his heart for music: “I didn’t have a Plan B. I would argue [my music] is Plan A. Cause God is tapped in to this. He loves our heart. And a lot of times, I believe we’re afraid to follow this.”

I agree. I was totally afraid to follow my heart transitioning from high school to college. Writing? I mean, yeah, I love it, but how can I make a living by writing? How will that pay the rent, fill my stomach? Am I even that good?

Five years later, I don’t pretend to live doubt-free. I still wonder where my heart for writing will lead me. But I no longer wonder what’s in my heart. And, like Brandon, I truly feel that God is tapped into this.

Five years later, I’m still alive, still paying rent and grocery bills.

And still writing.

What about you? What is your heart? Is it a hobby, a career, a people group, a place? Is God tapped into it, or are you afraid to let God have control?

5 Comments
Mitchell Yaksh 16 December 2011
| |

My heart is similar to Mr. Heath’s- music. I love music. Can’t recall a day of my life in which music has not been involved in some way. I began really studying it when I was 10 and haven’t stopped since, graduating this very Friday (today, technically, on the east coast) with my Master of Music degree in performance from dear old UGA. I can’t imagine not doing music.

But my love for music has morphed over the years. Originally, I did it because it was fun and I was good at it. If I had kept that mentality, I would’ve given up years ago. However, as I grew in music, I learned that it was more than just notes and sounds. Music was truly created through ideas. Music spoke in ways that people could understand- it could say things that could not be put verbally. I came to realize that I could communicate to people through music. I could connect with them, talk with them, and impact them without a single word ever being spoken. It was an incredible realization!

Today, that’s how I perform always. I don’t let myself do a performance without saying something. Sometimes, I’m being funny, sometimes serious- but I’m always saying something. And God has blessed me with this ability! And thus, we have my “heart”- connecting with people. It doesn’t matter who they are, what they do, where they’ve been- I want to connect with them. No small talk, no generalizations. I want to give something to every person I meet and talk to. I want to make sure they know something new about themselves, the world, life, and mostly God when they move on.

My heart is to connect with people everywhere, through music or conversations or whatever way works best for them. I just want their lives to be changed and the hearts turned towards God.

The Joseph Craven 15 December 2011
| |

I really enjoyed this series. And since I’m binge-reading your blog today, I’m just going to comment fully right here.

It’s very interesting to see how the Fall affects us like this. We really do end up with this particular pattern in our lives. I remember when I was still a teen, and my biggest problems all just involved grades and my part-time job.

Then over the years I saw the ways that living in a fallen world affected the people around me. Suddenly, my problems weren’t these little things. My problems involved seeing the people around me hurt by negative circumstances, by careless people, by careless actions, or just through actual hatred for each other. Being involved in a culture that was so negative really made me cynical.

But even still, that’s where my heart is: My community. The people around me. I want to be involved still, both to fight my own cynicism and to help make this a better place/culture than it was when I got here.

That may make sense, or it may not. I apologize.

It’s so refreshing to be reminded that this isn’t the way things are SUPPOSED to be, and it’s not how things will ULTIMATELY be. I’m reminded of a quote from a wonderful, wonderful publication called The Jesus Storybook Bible. It’s for kids, sure, but honestly it’s a perspective that we “grown-ups” could use. In Revelation 21, it takes the part where God says he’s making all things new and translates it “He will make all the sad things untrue.”

And I think that’s a beautiful way to put it.

Rob Shepherd 15 December 2011
| |

I’m with you on the writing. You’ve got skillz. I’m glad you are still doing it.