Hearing in Our Heart's Language from One Who's Multilingual

As I visited my original homeland, I was all smiles; everything was pretty simple and straightforward—much moreso now that I live where I don’t fully grasp every word that’s spoken or can’t always find the right words for what I want to say—which knits my eyebrows together in intense concentration and the smile disappears!

All of that is a sweet reminder for those who live in “strange lands”—there’s “another” place called home apart from where we actually live! And when visiting that place, there is solace in speaking our heart language and spending time with those who’ve known us for many, many years. There’s a common history and bond there that is irreplaceable—and that also makes “goodbyes” bittersweet.

But to me, the most important part of this earthly life isn’t just comfort and familiarity—as wonderful as those things are—but obedience to the God Who adored me enough to create me, then made a way for me to come to Him to dwell in a perfect homeland surrounded by His glory forever! Sometimes, that’s what drives the ability to take the next step, going to strange places and mostly feeling like a fish out of water—except during those indescribable moments when His presence floods the person I’m ministering with/to and me! Those times make being a stranger in a strange land worth it all. Knowing that so few people in the places I go ever experience the peace and love of God gives me a heart for them to know this as I do. To believe with certainty that there’s a Creator Who absolutely and unequivocally adores us completely changes life on earth, doesn’t it? It makes it possible to spend much more time living selflessly, rather than just for me. And because He ministers to my heart when it feels empty and I feel alone, I know He’s always with me and always for me. That incredible knowledge is worth sharing, isn’t it?

While visiting my homeland, I spent a precious few days just being still with God—and discovered something I already knew in my head, but needed to have penetrate my heart—what it means to deal with others in love, and why it matters. The Lord spoke to me in a way that actually changed something inside of me. He explained that when I speak to someone about an issue that disturbs me, if I start with a heart of love, the words I say will have impact and come from His heart. But if I’m angry, hurt and trying to get justice, what I say will likely be judgmental and harsh—and ill-received (understandably). Some of you may already know this, but for me, it penetrated the core of my being, and has been making a difference in how I think, as well as how I speak. Only a supreme God could make such an extraordinary difference in one of His children’s mindsets, I’m sure. This is that revelation knowledge talked about in Ephesians 1:17-23—and I prayed those scriptures over myself and others for a number of years—so it’s just dawning on me that this is actually an answer to my own prayer. Isn’t our God amazing?

So I pray the same thing for you (and me): “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that we may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which He has called us, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at his right hand in the heavenly realms far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.“

May He fill you in every way!