Four or five years ago, I was sitting at Kristen Lamb’s kitchen table trying to come up with a name for this blog site. Along the way, she suggested calling it Where the Heart Is.
Since then, I’ve had two different people give the site facelifts, and that name was dropped in the process. I don’t even remember which one made the change that dropped it. Now, the masthead just says “Christian Inspirational Author” and my name. It looks spiffier now than it used to, but I miss the old name.
It was very edifying to me that Kristen recognized my heart and thought it should be the label for my blogging. I’ll never confused with James Patterson when it comes to book sales or George Clooney when it comes to looks, but if I can be recognized for my heart, that’s more important to me anyhow.
My maternal grandfather had a heart bigger than Texas. Love was his essence, and it just oozed from him. My mother inherited that trait from him, and I guess I got it from her. It’s not the result of anything I’ve done—it’s a gift from God.
Loving people is not something I set as a goal. It’s not something I worked at and strived for. It’s just part of my nature, something genetic I received from her and him. I couldn’t turn it off if I wanted to. I don’t love people in hopes of receiving something from them. I love people because God put a natural love inside me that can’t keep from showing up.
On the other hand, this love does cause me to receive from others. In Luke 6:38, Jesus said:
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“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
When this verse is taught, it is usually in the context of money. That’s fair. It does work that way, but it’s not limited to money. It can also be time, help, or anything one might give to another—including love.
As I said, I don’t give love in hopes of receiving it back, but God’s laws just make it work that way. Not everybody loves me, not even everybody who knows me. But an astounding percentage of the people I know seem to. Whether I walk into my church on Sunday morning, or go to my mother’s assisted living home, or log onto Facebook, I feel love from all sorts of people, even though I screw up as much as anyone and maybe more than most.
Recently, a great deal of love has poured out from a large number of people over my atrial fibrillation. Facebook friends, Sunday School classmates, everywhere I turn I find someone wishing me well with this condition. Many are concerned that I won’t have my cardioversion for two more weeks. This morning I was totally blown away from one of my mother’s hospice nurses offered to take off work and take me to the hospital if it would help get it done sooner. My nephew and his family were over last night, and my niece said the same thing.
Since atrial fibrillation has been part of my life, off and on, for a number of years, I don’t worry about it as much as others do. I have no energy, and I’m short of breath, but those are not life-threatening symptoms. The wait is fine with me. In fact, I set the date myself. My wife would have been glad to take off work and take me in for the procedure if I’d asked her to, but I didn’t. This way, she’ll be on her summer break, and the wait isn’t hurting me at all.
But the love I feel from people who wish me well, who want it done sooner and offer to help, is very heartwarming. It’s been a real eye-opener to see and feel it.
What unexpected outpourings of love have you received?
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If you abide in Me and My word abides in you, then you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
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For more information about David N. Walker, click the “About” tab above.
For more information about his books, click on “Books” above.
Contact him at dnwalkertx (at) gmail (dot) com or tweet him at @davidnwalkertx.
David N Walker 
I think that receiving love from strangers is the most surprising. I try to be good and “loving” to everyone, but I fall short and I usually feel bad about it afterward if I didn’t handle a situation as good as I could have. But, it never fails to surprise me when somebody I don’t know, or barely know, does something totally unexpected and kind for no reason at all. I am sure you are one of those people. Keep it up. I shall strive to do better. You are an inspiration.
I wish you nothing but positiveness with the health issues. Seems like everyone is suffering from something these days.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
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Thank you, Patricia. You’re one of those people I’ve never met – and may never meet – from whom I feel love and acceptance. Thank you. We really aren’t alone.
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Hi Sharon,I knew from day 1 of my becoming friends with your husband David on face book that there was something very special about him and I have suggested this a few times to him in the past. I want you to know I Pray Much for you and your family. I also want you to Know God has put things Both Good and Bad about other’s on my Heart,God has put on my Heart that David’s Cardioversion will be quite Successful. God has put other things on my Heart Good and Bad, I never told anyone the Bad concerning them as I could not change it, but The Good, I always tell people if it should be Placed on my Heart. Please Lighten your Heart about David and Give God 100% of your Trust in Him. May God Our Father Continue to Bless you and your family. P.S., I Hope you do not feel I over stepped my Bounds by voicing what I have to you. Your worry is understandably Understood, But Please know, Your worrying for Nothing. My Heart has Never been Wrong.
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Thanks, Rose Marie.
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Hi David, As always, it’s a pleasure to read from you. The most overwhelming Love I have ever received is this. Prior to the near death car accident I had in 2007 I was working for The Dept. Of Mental retardation. These people, not only in my group of 23, but the entire Building I worked at with 350 clients, that I worked with at one time or another at the non profit Org. I worked for. I would walk into the Building at 7:30 am and my name would ring from every corner of the Building. There were a few that would only talk to me and some talked that were said to not be able to speak at all.All of these individuals were said to have had extremely low intelligence. My Accident was on a Saturday so of course I Did not show up for work as expected by my clients on Monday. When I woke up from a coma 31 days later, I was told by my daughter that my Clients as well as the other 327 clients were devastated when they learned I had, had a sever car accident and most were refusing to listen to their Job Coaches. I started to write a letter to them as I still had tubes down my throat and could not speak and was going to ask a friend of mine to take the letter and read it to them when she came to visit me The nurse came into my room handed me an envelop what looked like a card that had been mailed to me. As I examined the envelop to see who had sent it, I noticed that instead of a postage stamp on the envelop there was an Easter Seal Stamp. I opened the envelope to find the most Beautiful card and letter inside sighed by nearly everyone of the clients, some who have never wrote a single word let alone a short message of Love. I asked the Nurse who had brought the envelop and she stated it was sitting with all the mail and did not know. I asked as far as the Group homes some lived at as well as the Director of the place I had worked for and no one seem to know how the card had reached me. To me, This was an Amazing Act of Love. Till this day, I have no idea how this Beautiful card filled with Love reached me. Love Never Fails cause as we know, God is Love and for Sure, God Never Fails.
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I don’t think any of us truly understand the power of love, Rose Marie.
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All I can say is that love abounds and surrounds me. I especially love you and pray that your cardioversion on Monday, June 22nd, is successful. ~ Wife
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Thanks, Sharon. I feel your love very strongly.
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