A Heart Like His

I just got done reading this book and it was fantastic. The message Sister Pearce is trying to convey is that in order to have a heart more like God's we need to keep our heart open. We need to open up to others and let them in our hearts and also share our hearts with others. And in doing so, we more fully feel God's love for us.

In the book she talks about a Relief Society experiment she participated in where a group of women did an experiment to try and keep their hearts open. Here were the rules of the experiment:

1. I will be more aware of the condition of my heart, and with that awareness, seek to keep it more open toward others.

2. I will do this in the normal course of my life, in other words, not feel pressured to put any extra activities into my day-- no extra visits, casseroles, etc.

3. I will notice the Spirit and be willing to honestly report what happened or didn't happen. In doing so, I will try to understand my personal stumbling blocks and strengths.

Not a bad idea. After reading this book and listening to conference I realized there are a lot of things I can do to change my heart. She talked about watching for stumbling blocks during the experiment; times when you notice your heart starts to withdraw and become more closed. I've realized for me, a stumbling block is being shy. I don't know that I'm necessarily shy, but I do think that other people's time is more valuable than mine, and I don't want to burden them with my cares or experiences. But this book helped me realize that through opening our hearts and sharing these experiences, we become more Christlike.

All throughout the book there are quotes that go along with what the author is talking about. There are so many good ones. I could put them up all over my house because I need to be reminded of them often. However, one that I really liked was this:

"There isn't anyone you couldn't love once you've heard their story." - Mary Lou Kownacki

That just rang true to me. I think as you get to know and love others and learn their story, you're more sympathetic and loving toward them. In a sense, your heart is open.

So I think I'm going to try the experiment. We'll see how it goes. And pick up the book when you get a chance. It's a short read; only about 100 pages double spaced. It's definitely worth the time!