Are You a Bleeding Heart?

I used to frequent various forums and get involved in the discussions there. I liked them because it was possible to share ideas or dispute the ideas of others but in a format where I felt less vulnerable. If the other party was getting too aggressive, it was easy to just step back from the whole thing until I could come up with an answer for them. Or to take a break until I could simmer down. I remember one that was for people interested in horses, the disciplines, training methods, care of and all that sort of thing. It was about that time that I became aware of the brutalities of rodeos and after spending some time investigating and learning about this "traditional" entertainment, I began discussing the pros and cons on the horse forum. And at the same time, discussing the pending legislation in the States regarding closing down the horse slaughterhouses. As you may have already guessed, I am not in favor of rodeos and I was in favor of closing down those slaughterhouses. But these are not the points of this blog, not today. And in case you are disappointed, a discussion of these particular issues will come on another day.

No, today I want to talk about something that came up in the course of those prior conversations, the label that was thrown at me, "bleeding heart". As I read the reply to one of my statements, the poster was accusing me of being a bleeding heart. Strangely enough, in that first moment, I felt greatly offended. And therein lies the beauty of these forums because rather than just flying off the handle and reacting out of my moral indignation, I had the time to consider my reply, to weigh my words and to examine the label. As I pondered what my reply should be, I realised that being called a bleeding heart is a compliment of the purest kind, even if it is not intended that way. It implies a heart so tender that the suffering of others is as your own and engenders a desire to help relieve that suffering. From insult to blessing in an instant. And if I recall correctly, my reply was pretty simple and I said "at least it shows that I have one".

Feelings? Should we dismiss them as we make our decisions, or should we look to them to see what truth might be cradled in the midst of them? When we are aware of a tremendous aversion to something rising up within our hearts, is it wise to push them aside and take that critical step that lies before us, or are they a warning that maybe we need to rethink our next move? And how does God communicate with us? Very few of us have gotten a UPS delivery, signed for at the door, with a return address of "Heaven", and upon opening it, see the words, "Dear Henry, You've been trying to decide what to do in your life, and as your Creator, I would like to point you in this direction....". And no emails from on high! Ahh, but we have our feelings. The feelings and awareness and ability to think and know..... feelings that are a gift because they give flavor to our lives and even help us decide what to do next. Could these feelings be the means for a Universe, a Creator, a Source Of All That Is, an Alpha and Omega, to speak to us?

A willingness to accept that impulses and emotional states (feelings) could be an actual communication might be tempered with a fear that one is making a decision based on an irrational reaction to a given situation. But there is a test. Simple and to the point. Ask the question, "What would Love do?" And if you are standing in the presence of suffering, and you struggle with what your next action should be, and if the answer to that question is lend a hand and pick up the fallen, then you know that your feelings are the conduit of communication that we all seek. And if you are confronted with an event that the status quo (whoever your "status quo" is) condemns, and there is an element of joy there, ask what Love would do and if you are moved to smile in that moment, then you know and can feel safe in sharing in the joy.

The best thing in the world that you can be is a bleeding heart. It's like a direct line to Hope.

Have a lovely day folks, because somewhere in the world, the sun is shining.

Peace and love,
Debby