Big Hearted is best. No one wants to be the opposite; small or
cold hearted. Jesus Christ has the biggest heart of all–the Sacred
Heart.
cold hearted. Jesus Christ has the biggest heart of all–the Sacred
Heart.
So how does one become bigger hearted? The heartis a muscle and like all muscles the more we use it, the stronger and bigger it
gets. And every parent knows that the easiest way to use your heart is to welcome a
child into your life. From that point on, love is not even an option.
Through family, trust and love for God grows. It’s a domino effect; love begets love. Having children is the most effective way to
die to self, making room for a bigger heart without so much of “you” getting in
the way.
die to self, making room for a bigger heart without so much of “you” getting in
the way.
We know all about the love in our ownfamily, but glimpsing into the hearts of other families is an opportunity to
witness love as a spectator. In the
writing of Big Hearted: Inspiring Stories From Everyday Families, my co-author Theresa Thomas and I caught a glimpse inside the triumphs, struggles,
joys, and sorrows of ordinary families with generous hearts. We witnessed mere humans struggle mightily when
they came up empty on everything from finances, faith, and even initially
finding love for a handicapped child.
Watching from the outside, we see that
every family has imperfections, not just ours.
But we also saw over and over again, how even serious problems are
overcome with love and faith—even when the problem is not enough love. For instance, through such a
story as a couple devastated when their eighth child—their first daughter—is
born handicapped, we witnessed how even just the desire for love is
transforming. Such a desire, through prayer and trust in God, grew love,
deeper than any they had ever experienced before. It is a lesson for every
family because as much as we love our children, there are those times when we
don’t feel it, or don’t feel like doing all that comes with the responsibility
of parenting. Those are the times when we know our human hearts are not enough,
so we turn to God for more. God is love and replenishes our hearts, filling them with the love we need to be the family he wants us to be.
every family has imperfections, not just ours.
But we also saw over and over again, how even serious problems are
overcome with love and faith—even when the problem is not enough love. For instance, through such a
story as a couple devastated when their eighth child—their first daughter—is
born handicapped, we witnessed how even just the desire for love is
transforming. Such a desire, through prayer and trust in God, grew love,
deeper than any they had ever experienced before. It is a lesson for every
family because as much as we love our children, there are those times when we
don’t feel it, or don’t feel like doing all that comes with the responsibility
of parenting. Those are the times when we know our human hearts are not enough,
so we turn to God for more. God is love and replenishes our hearts, filling them with the love we need to be the family he wants us to be.
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Big Hearted: Inspiring Stories From Everyday Families would make a beautiful
gift for Mother’s Day, a new mother present, or for anyone who loves uplifting
stories.
gift for Mother’s Day, a new mother present, or for anyone who loves uplifting
stories.
It has been said that God cannot be outdone in generosity. The stories
will show you how big hearted families experience this truth, sometimes
miraculously.
will show you how big hearted families experience this truth, sometimes
miraculously.
