E-nen-neh-moon Circle (Advent) - Saturday, December 9
E-nen-neh-moon Circle - Saturday, December 9
"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. "
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
As I sat there listening to this big, husky football player of a man, I was moved in my spirit.
He was sharing from his heart. I mean, he was really sharing from his heart. The mask was off, and this impressive looking Native man was telling us, in between tears, about what was really happening to him on the inside. And he was finding his heart again.
This past year, Linda and I have been helping lead a training workshop we call E nen-neh-moon Circle. In Linda’s language, this Cree word E-nen-neh-moon means, “coming together to talk about how we are feeling in our hearts.”
What an inspiring time we had at this camp located on the beautiful Lake Winnipeg, in Manitoba, Canada. I led a men’s group. As the five-day gathering went on, we, as men, became more and more trusting and supportive of one another. We helped one another deal with deep hurts in our lives. We helped one another find our hearts again after many of us had faced deep wounds.
The Bible teaches us to guard our hearts, “…for it affects everything that we do.” (Proverbs 4:23 NLT) We can help one another do this in a powerful way. When Jesus came to earth, He came to reconcile our hearts to Him and to one another. He truly taught us how to take care of our hearts and to guard our hearts because our hearts impact everything in our lives.
My encouragement to you this Advent Season is to think about the state of your own heart.
Is it possible that God would be calling your family (or a group of friends) to gather together to form your own E-nen-neh-moon Circle to help you guard and refresh your own heart? Jesus came into this world to fill our hearts with His love and to heal our broken hearts. He could be using your own loved ones to speak powerfully into your heart this season to help you find your heart in a new way this year.
Whether football player, hockey player, doctor, nurse, student, teacher, whatever label you fall under, God wants you to live with a heart that is full of life in Him. Ask God to help you in whatever way He needs to. Ask that He would help you to be all that you were ever meant to be with no part of your heart lost but every part of it completely found.
Wow! What joy there is in this!
Oh Lord, protect and guard my heart that I may live completely for you and experience life to the absolute fullest, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.