Begin with Your Heart

~~~ Jonah 3:1-10 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Luke 11:29-32 ~~~

...when the people of Nineveh believed God;

they proclaimed a fast

and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.

All the visible signs of repentance

will be useless unless one 

believes God.

Just going through the actions 

and motions of repentance is a waste of your time.

You must begin with a contrite heart.

It is through our contrite heart

that the desire and inspiration comes for us to do more.

For the people of Nineveh 

conversion of their hearts led them

into fasting, ashes, and sack cloth.

When conversion begins in the heart

no sacrifice or penance will be a burden.

A clean heart create for me, O God,

and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

A clean heart is the precursor to a renewed steadfast spirit.

Even now, says the LORD,

return to me with your whole heart

for I am gracious and merciful.

It is never too late to return to God.

We were born from the goodness of God.

Our Baptism cleanses our soul...returns it to God sparkling white.

The primary criteria for returning to God

 is making the first step toward his mercy and love.

God listens even to the slightest 

attempt to reconcile your heart to his.

He rejoices every time you get back up...

every time you begin again.

God is loving, patient, slow to anger.

God is waiting for us to turn our heart back to him.

Jonah, one chosen by God, resisted in the beginning.

God called out to him a second time.

Finally Jonah gave in to the grace God

 was sending into his heart.

God is sending this same grace

 into our hearts during this Lenten time.

He will not give up on one of us

no matter how long or how resistant we have become.

God did not create our hearts to be hard and stiff as our bones.

God created our heart to be in constant motion.

Our heart beats, pushing the blood 

of our life through every part of our body.

God wants all of us...head to toe...inside and out...

physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Now is the acceptable time to Believe...

God is waiting for you.

Take the first step his grace and blessings

are there for your assistance.

He is the one who is greater than Jonah.

Begin with your heart.

~~~Peace~~~