Well... it is a pretty deep subject!

The Hydrologic Cycle And Your Heart is a 6-post series about some of the choices we make and how they affect our heart.Please check out the other posts in this series here…

It’s one thing to just let something or another into your heart… and quite another to store it in there.

The word “storage” to me has a tone of permanence. Rainwater infiltrating into the ground to create recharge or storage in the form of groundwater. Groundwater flows… typically very slowly under natural conditions. The underground rivers that make up storage in the form of groundwater are epic… they are often considered resources, abundant in quantity and quality that can benefit us. At the same time, as we are learning in Northeast Florida, this resource (ours is call the Floridan Aquifer) is finite. The same is true of all the groundwater resources present throughout the world. Some of the world’s greatest aquifers include the Great Artesian Basin in Australia, the Guarani Aquifer in South America, and the Ogallala Aquifer in the central U.S. Renewable resources, when we consider mass balance and use them at a rate no greater than mother nature can replenish. And when we use the resources at a rate greater than recharge, we can rest assured that one day storage will run out… and we then have to turn to alternative resources to help supply our needs.

… and so it goes with the love muscle buried within our chest… well, to some degree, that is. Adding water to the underground river is like adding the fruit of the spirit to your heart… the abundant overflow is an outpouring of His great love.

Brewing goodness in the heart conditions it to function in the warm, loving way that God intended. This goes very deeply into our focus.

The baseflow…

of our heart is…

the vibe we resonate…

How to keep it in tune with goodness?

Guard – Don’t let bad stuff in there in the first place. Think surroundings/environment. Remember, you make the choice! Pastor Tom Bary of Neptune Baptist Church once said… “If you hang out in the barber shop long enough sooner or later you’re going to get your hair cut.” So true, Tom. The same is true about my peanut butter. Yep, I can handle it… well, not really. So why keep it around? That’s a part of guarding your heart. Just do it. You’ll be glad you did. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an aquiclude… but at least be wise and put up an aquitard.

Flush – Let go of the bad… retain the good stuff. A little bad water splashing over or through the aquitard doesn’t mean you have to keep it in there. Sure, we all make mistakes… Live, Love, Learn, Leave a Legacy, right? I want to learn from every experience, and just hold on to the good stuff. Flush the rest. How? Forgiveness… if it involves someone who’s hurt you. Forgiveness is the biggest word in maintaining the good condition of your heart. More on that one later… Also, don’t hang on to evil wicked badness. Let it go through by adjusting your focus…

Focus – Doing good adds goodness. Be intentional about this one. Remember what the fruit of the spirit is… that’s goodness. Focus on doing good, a good environment, and good thoughts. We’re going big and bold with this F-word tomorrow… that’s Focus… until then, keep smiling and being great!!

How do you guard… flush… and focus?