Tin Man

I shall take the heart. For brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.

Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz

As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart. You don’t know how lucky you are not to have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.

The Wizard of Oz

Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.  

Proverbs 23:26 My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways.  

Psalms 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  

Our wonderful Lord and Father says to give Him our hearts and let our eyes delight in His ways.  The Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz stepped on a beetle and cried because he hated to hurt any creature.  Hearts make us care about others and put others before ourselves.  Hearts full of compassion and kindness are what truly make the world go round.  

As we have seen in our world today, with all of the news and troubling times we live in, we desperately need more hearts full of compassion.  From other sources we are learning of some hearts full of compassion that are reaching out in these times of uncertainty with love and random acts of kindness.  Hearts that are surrendered to God to serve others and show love and support to people of all races and colors.  All lives matter to God.  All creation matters to God.  All hearts matter to God!  

Here in Iowa we have been able to do some manual labor with our hands to try to show the love in our hearts for Christian camps and other non-profit organizations.  There are four SOWER couples here.  The women are painting some rooms in a cute bunk house and painting floors and cleaning.  They are hoping to be able to reopen in July following the COVID-19 precautions.  We just heard that the state of Iowa is now fully open, 100%.  The men have been cutting down dead trees, moving bunkbeds, removing old furnaces, and servicing the facilities vehicles.  

This first week went by so quickly as we got acquainted with the great staff here and with each other.  As we visited we began to understand each others hearts and passions.  We all love the Lord and want to give our best to the Master.  Game night was a fun time and our hostess Vickie has a bonfire every Thursday night.  We seem to find time to relax and refresh.  

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched- they must be felt with the heart.       

Helen Keller