The Heart.

These two cuties are my Grandmas. My Dad's Mom is on the left and my Mom's Mom is on the right, Mary Ann and Elaine. There is so much for me to say about these amazing women, but what I want to focus on for this blog post is how women are the heart of the family. 

The function of the heart in the physical body is to pump the oxygen-rich blood to all the parts of the body. That is an extremely important task, it's life or death. The heart needs to constantly work or else the body dies. The heart is central to the body.

Like a physical heart, the woman in a family is central to whether that home thrives or dies or barely survives. Like a heart that pumps blood for the body, the woman is the heart of the home. She speaks words of encouragement, hope, and guidance to her family members, bringing them life and vision for their lives. She prays for her husband and children bringing them Jesus, who is the source of all life. She feeds them real food, three meals a day, to bring them the nutrients they need to thrive in their own bodies. When a member of her family is hurting or injured she rushes to that person and helps them get back on their feet, like the heart rushes blood to an injury. A woman feels deeply, loves lavishly and bring life and beauty to her family and friends. A woman's place in the home is something to be celebrated and protected. Her place as the heart of the home is so extremely important, her family's wellbeing depend on it. 

My Grandmas exemplified this principle. They both were the warm, nurturing presence in their homes and thus in my life. Both my Grandmas would love to feed me food that I liked. They would wrap me up in tight, tight hugs and kiss my cheeks. They would let me stay the night at their houses and be interested and involved in my life when I was there. So special!! 

This beautiful woman is my Mom and she is the life blood of our family. She brings us together in love, she gives us a place to belong and a place to launch off from. She prays, gives, loves, cooks and cares for her daughters and grandchildren all with a heart full of love. She was and is the heart of our family, selflessly caring and serving for all of us. 

What a wonderful purpose we have as women. We bring heart to the family and it is a role that is irreplaceable. Our families need us to be the heart and to do it well, with everything we've got, their health depends on it. What a privilege and responsibility it is to have people depend on us to be attentive and nurturing and loving and caring. I love that thought. It brings me such vision and purpose in my own life. 

Be a woman, be the heart of the family and do it well! Full of health and zest and Jesus!