Desert Journey – Day 11

Exposure is needed to bring to light what is hidden. It is not exactly a word I run to embrace. No one wants to feel exposed, at least not in our natural world setting.

When I was growing up we had a darkroom in our home, with an enlarger, film trays with chemicals and lots of other gadgets. It was a process to turn film into photographs. It took hours of work, but I thought photography was pretty cool.

Our heart is a lot like the film. Hidden in a canister, containing lots of beauty waiting to be exposed. Film does not become beautiful photographs without a series of steps. Before the film can begin its journey to a photograph, its hard casing must be removed. Then the process of development begins.

My internal dialog begins as I continue to sit in the sand with Jesus. Maybe our hearts cannot fully develop until they become completely exposed. So what would a fully developed heart look like? Like Jesus’ heart, I imagine. And what would Jesus’ heart look like? The fullness of love. Okay Lord, what does this mean for me? How can my heart continue to develop to love like yours?

This first thing I hear is extend mercy instead of judgement. Jesus reminds me of the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – a life long challenge. Jesus says, a hidden heart cannot expose the fruits held within.

I am left thinking about where my heart is hiding. Where is Jesus trying to develop my heart? How am I being asked to display the fruits of the Spirit more fully?

At times, my heart feels like film concealed inside a canister, with latent images waiting to be exposed and developed.

Jesus, expose and develop my heart.