The heart is a mysterious place, yet out of it flow the issues of our lives. I have discovered yet another way to know what’s in the heart. Whatever we are emotional about is what is in our heart. Emotions are like a temperature gauge telling us what we are believing and what’s controlling us.

I have no intention of giving guilt trips to  anyone, including myself; in discovering the content of your heart, you should not feel like a bad person; rather view these as highlighted areas that help you understand what to change. Humanity was designed to be emotionally attached to God our Father. We might not feel emotional yet but that is an indicator of a healthy relationship with God. It doesn’t mean we are not saved if we are not emotionally attached to God, however, it shows a deficit in our life and that our relationship with God needs improvement. If you are emotional about food, you probably have a weight problem. The way to fix a weight problem is to “break up” with food, emotionally. Detach yourself from the foods to which you feel strongly “attached.” Take up a new hobby or learn a new language. Become too busy to think about food.

If you are addicted to anything, you are emotionally attached to it. Whether it’s smoking, alcohol, food, coffee, Facebook or even a person in your life, emotional attachment is a measurement of what is in your heart. Things come out of your mouth like “I need a cup of coffee” or you might get very angry when you haven’t had your morning “fix.” It’s a crutch, an addiction, a source of comfort. We are stronger when we are unattached to things but rather addicted to God; He will never be unavailable, you can never be too attached to Him.

Recently, I went on vacation with my husband. We’ve taken trips before but this one would be a longer drive, less comfortable conditions, with a caregiver less familiar with my morning care. I wanted to go,  for his sake, but I was dreading the trip for myself. The closer it came to leaving, I became more panicked. Mark and I discussed our concerns one morning and I cried about my perplexed feelings. I was torn between wanting to go and fear of being away from my electric bed, my equipped bath tub, my trapeze bar over my bed that I use to help my caregiver turn me in bed; I would be away from my electronic lift that helps transfer me from wheelchair to bed and out. We decided to pray and ask God to tell us if we should go or cancel. I knew I should not allow the handicap to dictate my life. I knew that stepping out in faith was the right thing to do. In prayer, I was given a vision of a pacifier. God was telling me it would be healthy for me to trust Him and get away from my equipment. He was saying I was emotionally attached to my equipment. The decision to go became a step of faith that God would be with me. It was a faith trip. All my very legitimate concerns were met supernaturally. We went to Niagra Falls  for our ten-year anniversary and had a good time. Somehow, I know it broke some strongholds in my heart and pushed me closer to healing. I discovered I was emotionally attached to a handicap. That will change. Before bodies can be healed, hearts must change. The longer you have a condition, the more it gets inside you. I believe I’m breaking loose from the handicap, emotionally. I am also having my bathroom fixed from damage for three weeks now. My equipment and whole world of routine is disrupted. I feel that God is excited about this. We will see what this does for my heart!