The wall of the heart surrounds the sanctuary of the heart, that innermost, intimate aspect of the person that holds love in a constant embrace. This embrace of love is an act of perpetual motion in the heart, yet also an experience of peaceful stillness. The wall is secured in its foundation to hold that stillness within the sanctuary of the heart. The protected sanctuary in the splendor of its brilliance vibrates from that perpetual embrace of love. This is the basic activity of the heart.
The sanctuary of the heart is where God dwells, waits for us, walks with us, abides in us. To enter this sanctuary is properly by invitation only for others because intimacy of the heart is reserved for God and for those whom God has set aside for us and presents to us for life and love.
You might be too open with others by allowing the light from the sanctuary of the heart to shine forth, causing blindness to those invited but who are not prepared to receive your heart. Or the light might break open the darkness allowing love to shine forth. That is the risk of being vulnerable with another person. Such vulnerability is the space where the heart can thrive in love or experience great loss.
The wall of the heart is that of a barrier. Yet one can work on building up this barrier of the heart to be so tall, so thick, so massive that nothing can break it down. If the heart is overly protected, then the heart hardens, and the sanctuary of the heart becomes a void. The barrier then becomes so impenetrable that no light can shine in the heart, no rain can wash the heart clean, no wind can break through the emptiness. The barrier wall of the heart is there to withstand the storms that can overwhelm us. The wall is there to protect the sanctuary, yes, but never to harden the heart.
The wall of your heart is intended to be permanent yet supple. The wall is a permanent barrier only like a protective coating, an outer layer of defending what is inside. The wall of your heart needs to be strengthen by the experiences of both love and loss. So grace is essential and necessary to express love properly and endure loss salvifically.
Anything that impacts the wall can strengthen your heart properly, to become what God intended in his design, if your heart accepts grace. The more the wall takes, the stronger the heart can become because it is able to bend with grace, but never break against the storms. That is why the wall of your heart is to be supple by the power of grace.
The wall of your heart is to be translucent allowing light to shine through, so darkness may not take its hold on your heart. The wall of your heart is to be permeable allowing rain to wash away what drowns it and soak in what nourishes your heart.
The heart is after all a muscular organ that functions like any muscle, being used strengthens it. A strong heart filled with grace pushes through the storms. A grace-strong heart keeps pumping even when the work seems too much. And a heart strengthen with grace flourishes in the design of God's plan for life and love.
