The Sovereign Heart

Free Preview Introduction We wander this earth in hopes of finding out who we are by trying to define our purpose and our reason for living. On the surface we are calm, laughing at the cookout and catching up with friends. Most of the time we revert to past memories in order to keep up a decent conversation. But when the topic of present and future plans comes up, we hide behind a realistic cover. I am focused on my career. I am raising a family. I am doing my best. These simple phrases seem to cover up the truth: we have no idea what we are doing. We are going from place to place, lost and confused, hoping one day we will be rescued by a spot of luck. I will have that car someday. I will be rich someday. I will start [insert dream] someday. We know the truth. We will not have any of these things until we know why we want them. And we will never know why we want them until we understand who we are. The journey seems to take forever. A few months ago we made plans to take a family vacation. A few months ago we planned to pursue our dream. A few months ago we were inspired to conquer the world. Yet as we look at today there has been no change. We still have not booked the flight. We still have not pursued our dream. We still have not conquered the world. What happened? We do not have to seek therapy to answer that question. We still do not know who we are. We are on the lookout for what we want and why we want it. We are looking for a guide–or, better yet, a guru–to tell us who we are. We are special. We are talented. We have gifts. We have purpose. But what is our purpose? No one knows. We were not born with a physical map of our destiny. The closest things we have for guidance are basic clichés. You’ll know it when it’s right. Listen to your heart. Follow your dream. We receive as much guidance from this as we would from a fortune cookie. We desire the knowledge necessary to answer three questions: 1.) Who are we? 2.) What is our purpose? 3.) How do we do it? It doesn’t seem as though any of the answers to these questions will be found–unless we choose our path. It is a path without end. There is no pot of gold, and there is no sign telling us how far we have left to go. It is an unknown path. Our friends haven’t reached the end, and those who have finally made it to their destination are no longer here to explain it. They witnessed the light at the end of the tunnel; they finally understood what their life meant. And if it took others their whole lives to truly know their purpose, what makes us think that we can bypass that journey? There is no key. There is no shortcut. The only choice we have is to follow the path. Yet the path is not easy to follow. There will be danger. There will be fear. There will be pain. We cannot travel with a companion. All we can hope to do is receive the necessary help along the way. So how do we do it? We are not prepared for this. There is no handbook for us to study. There is no map to follow when the path splits in two. The best advice given is simple: go and do not look back. Do not second-guess yourself. Do not listen to fear. Do not give into weakness. We are meant to go and never stop. Some begin boldly but return as quickly as they had left. Others try to calculate the path to the best of their knowledge. We pass by them on the wayside, hunched over and confused. Most are still at the very beginning because they are halted by fear. They take a step over the line but go no farther. Others begin to boast, I know what I’m doing. Nothing will stop me. They stop after only a few meters, wondering where that boastful confidence has gone. We do not know what may come our way. We do not understand the trials we are soon to face. We do not see the obstacles that are ahead. But we do know one thing. It is not about strength, courage, calculation, confidence, or ignorance. It is about heart. Our heart will keep us going. Our heart will help us go through the many trials and tribulations. Our heart will push us when we feel we cannot go on. It is our heart that matters most. We must keep it pure. We must guard it with our lives. We must never reveal it to anyone we cannot trust. It is our guide without having a map. We are at its mercy. We must obey it–and it alone–if we are to make it to the end. It is the sovereign heart that is able to complete the journey.   Chapter 1 Being Present We look up to see the sun. It is reflecting down on us as we begin our walk down the path. We feel refreshed in a way that we have felt before. Finally we are taking our path. Many people in our lives told us not to, but what do we care? We are not doing this for them. We are doing this to find ourselves. No one else seems to have the answer as to why we were born or what our destiny truly is. So here is where the path begins: down a dusty, abandoned trail. We notice the trees and the branches that seem to be swaying from side to side. We begin to have one repeating thought: this doesn’t seem so bad.