By Brenda Cannon Henley
Giving thought to this column for some time, I have been asking God to show me clarity and a proven path for stating an obvious truth so that it might be remembered and put into practice by many. Having lived to the halfway point between 70 and 80, I have learned a few things and have attempted to put them into practice in my everyday life. Like the Farmer’s Insurance commercial often seen on our televisions, “I have seen a few things and I’ve covered a few things.”

Watching a situation unfold the other afternoon between normally functioning adults caused me to take stock of my own thoughts and try to determine why one acted one way and the other completely differently. Employers, teachers, medical personnel, law enforcement, and families see it every day. A person acts or reacts to life’s challenges based on what he or she has been taught or believes. Whatever he has placed deep down into his heart often comes blasting out when least expected. The words and thoughts had to come from somewhere. They do. These outpourings of our personalities, beliefs, desires, and hopes come from the heart of the individual and it is our duty to be certain what we have stored inside is beneficial, not only to us, but to those we love and are around in our lives.

“Keep thy heart with all diligence (carefulness), for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) This verse sounds to me as though it is a personal matter. It is up to us to keep good things going into our hearts so that when we speak, pray, or write, good things come from our lips or pens. The first words of Proverbs 23, Verse 7, teach us that, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” Verse 12 of the same chapter reminds us, “Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.” Again, individuals must apply the heart to receive sound and helpful instructions. Sounds like an ongoing task to me.

Luke, Chapter Six, also teaches us about the heart. Verse 45 says, “A good man (or woman) out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” That is pretty straightforward. Put good in. Get good out. Put evil in. Get evil out. The reason many folks, men and women, spout off such awful accusations, hurtful words, and filthy language is because that is what they have stored in their hearts. We cannot fill our hearts with evil and expect good to come tumbling out when we speak.

One of the things that I learned as a young child was from my paternal grandmother, Essie Cannon. The first thing she did every morning of her life was to go to her chair in the living room, pick up her worn Bible, read from the passage where her bookmark was left the day before, bow her head, close her eyes, and spend time in prayer. She then would get up, put on her apron, and go into the kitchen and cook a mighty southern breakfast. She often said that one must start the day with Jesus to prepare to live it well. I have for many years tried to read something positive each morning, read from Scripture, and have quiet time before I faced family and friends or leave for work. On the days when I become way too busy for my own good, and I don’t take the time to have fellowship with the Lord, I suffer, and those around me suffer. As the day wears on into evening, I get off track, tend to become tired, rude, and not kind and helpful.

This small investment of quality time early in the day helps to set the pace for what will follow before that day ends. We have something to hold on to and something on which to base our thinking. May I encourage you, if you have not cultivated this trait, to try it for a few days and see what a difference it makes. You may be surprised and find it helps to balance your day for the better.

Brenda Cannon Henley can be reached at (409) 781-8788, or
[email protected]

[3-18-2019]