There is a profound truth that many of us struggle to fully embrace: God's love for us is so deep and personal that our love actually moves His heart. This realization can transform our relationship with the Lord and how we approach life's joys and trials.
A Heart Like Butter
In her reflections, Beth shares a powerful image that the Lord has given her—the heart of the Blessed Mother. She sees Mary's Immaculate Heart as being like "butter"—soft, , receptive, and open to being pierced without any resistance. This is in contrast to Beth's own heart, which she describes as having been like "chicken"wire"—guarded, closed off, and springing back whenever she tried to open it to the Lord.
As Beth has prayed for a heart like the Blessed Mother's, she has found that she has become less easily offended and more open to whatever God wants to do in her life, whether it brings joy or pain. There is a beautiful vulnerability in having a heart that is soft and yielding before the Lord, ready to receive whatever He desires to do.
The Lord's Tender Heart
This image of a heart like butter has also helped Beth to appreciate and value her own sensitive heart, which she once tried to harden and protect. She has come to see her sensitivity as a superpower rather than a weakness. Similarly, Jenna reflects on how the Sacred Heart of Jesus is like an "open"flame"—always burning with love, ready to light up even the darkest places of our hearts.
Both women recognize that the tender, receptive hearts of Jesus and Mary are not signs of weakness but of great strength and holiness. They invite us to approach the Lord without fear, knowing that He longs for us to come to Him and allow Him to pour out His love and care.
Love That Moves God's Heart
In a powerful testimony, Beth shares how the Lord has revealed to her that her love actually moves His heart. She recounts a profound experience during a silent retreat, where she felt invited to reach out and touch the wounded heart of Jesus. In that moment, she encountered the Lord's deep desire for her love and trust, and she was overwhelmed by the realization that her love means something to Him.
This revelation has transformed Beth's relationship with God, shifting her from a place of suspicion and self-protection to one of expectant trust. She now approaches the Lord with the confidence that He cares deeply about the details of her life and longs to provide for her in tangible ways.
Allowing God to Care
Beth and Jenna acknowledge that it can be challenging to truly believe that God cares about our lives' small, everyday concerns. We often struggle to let Him prove His care, either because we don't think we deserve it or because we're afraid to be vulnerable and trust Him.
However, as they have each shared examples of how the Lord has shown His care in practical, personal ways, they have found their hearts opening up to receive His love and provision more fully. This is a journey of learning to let go of our self-reliance and allow God to care for us in the way that only He can.
Conclusion
The truth that our love moves God's heart is a profound and life-changing revelation. As we cultivate hearts that are soft and receptive before the Lord, we open ourselves up to experiencing His tender care in deeper ways. May we all grow in the confidence that the God of the universe is intimately concerned with the details of our lives and longs to pour out His love upon us, if only we will lift our gaze to behold the beauty of His Sacred Heart.
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