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Back in the 1970s you may remember the song by Neil Young of the same name as this piece of writing. Here it is in case you would like to refresh your memory https://youtu.be/WZn9QZykx10. It is a storytelling mellow type of song with vulnerability sung by Neil while he plays the guitar as well as his finely tuned harmonica. "Heart of Gold" transports me back to a simpler time when men were men and women were women, before things became progressively weird this century and more recently over the past several years. During the earlier part of my life I listened a lot to most types of music and thoroughly enjoyed this time however it is rare these days as personal preferences have changed to sermons. Crazy strange huh? Not when God's Holy Spirit dwells within as some know precisely what I am talking about. There are odd times when I do listen to various things such as classical pieces like "The Blue Danube" by Strauss as background music while meditating on God's Word; a sudden urge to listen to a Dean Martin song while making pizza — you most likely know the one; crooners such as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Perry Como, Andy Williams, and then there are special ones from a long time ago for sweet memories. Music as we know has the power to immediately transport us back in time, and as we can appreciate, is so uplifting, motivating, inspiring, healing, and gives great joy as I think you would agree.
Did Neil Young ever find his heart of gold? No idea, but hope he did despite 3 marriages with his current one to Darryl Hannah. Everyone in their right mind wants to be with "the one", their "soul mate", loving them and being loved in return. It is easy to see the good in others during courting or dating when "stepping out with our best foot forward" but how about living together, day in, day out, 24/7 just the two of you at home together, retired, year in, year out? We all have habits which others may find annoying, and can be set in our ways especially if we marry later in life. Marriage can seem daunting especially if one is in their comfort zone living their life for God, unable or unwanting to trust another, for it is easy to trust God as He always tells the truth, has no malice, is generous, protects us well, has the best plan for us and is perfect in every way. Humans have this thing called carnal nature which can be very ugly, yet those with God's Holy Spirit can be successful at counteracting their internal proclivity of "me first" in order to ensure they are being Christ-like towards their spouse.
Marriage seems to flow in stages with the honeymoon phase of "all that glitters is gold" lasting quite a while if both are working on being respectful, loving, considerate, and interested in their "other half". When things change such as accidents and illness, then we see how our mate responds in times of stress and hardship, hopefully reacting well by being thoughtful and responsive to needs. Loss of job, loss of home, loss of family members, loss of anatomical functions whether physical or cognitive, loss of pets, and so forth present certain challenges which need to be managed. Being sensitive, kind, caring and genuinely loving goes a long way and it is important to consult with God along each step of the way to ensure we are being led by God's Spirit in all decisions made. Being single is easy for those who are introverted and like their own company by curling up with a good book. For a full decade my life was like this as I never felt alone because God was always with me looking after a spiritual widow and a single parent, generously giving me everything I needed, and then some. In retrospect this was when God was building the spiritual foundation needed for marriage as prior to conversion not one, but two marriages failed. This coming November will mark seven years of marriage to a man hand selected by God for me. It is a bit of an understatement to say that our Father knew exactly what He was doing by showing me that I needed marriage for necessary growth, and that there was one particular man He had in mind who was up for the challenge.
This piece of writing is dedicated to my wonderful, loving husband who is teaching me to truly love another physical being as this was considerably absent throughout my life and, at best, dysfunctional. After the death of my mother in 1974 when I was young I didn't realise it then but somehow I hardened my heart as it was so painful to go through watching my mother die over the year or so she was in hospital with the dreaded "C" word — cancer of the uterus. Even though I married, had two children, and remarried after a divorce and another child, I was left none the wiser about my faults as there was no introspection or self examination. It was easy to blame the other for their glaring faults. It took God to call me out of the world and work with me for 10 years to prepare my heart for marriage. There will be no further marriages for this writer as I am more than content learning all that is required as excellent preparation for God's soon coming Kingdom. First of all, how good it is to be given our precious miraculous calling from our Heavenly Father which is the greatest spiritual gift of all, but to also be given a heart of gold in marriage is truly the greatest physical blessing to receive. God continues to astound me in His great goodness and loving mercy, makes me laugh so many times even when tears are shed, gives me healthy fear and awe of Him despite how damaged I was as we work through the ups and downs of life together. The thing is He sees our potential and that is exactly what we should and need to see in others — their potential as kings and priests in the making.
Proverbs 17:3 reveals to the reader "The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the hearts". It is therefore true that within marriage we are tested and tried in order to be perfected. Marriage can be full of joy, as well as a myriad of emotions including the full gamut of what is experienced in life as one would expect, especially if living a long life. A heart of gold is a kind heart refined by God to be made pure. King David had this heart as we can see from reading so much about him in the Bible, especially from Psalms and throughout both the Old and New Testaments. If ever we need to take a leaf out of David's life it would be in Psalm 51 known as the Psalm of Repentance. God described David as "a man after his own heart" in Acts 13:22 meaning that he was obediently faithful, fully repentant, and loved God with all his heart. In 1 Samuel 13:14 we can read that God searched for a heart of gold amongst all men to be the next king and found this in His humble servant David. Furthermore, God has shown me 1 Corinthians 13, known as the Love Chapter, to revisit each and every time revision needs to be done in order to remember just what it means to love another with a golden heart.
Once we have the right perspective and we follow through, growth occurs. For some time I did feel a bit guilty of being given a marriage from God as it was a curious thing for me to know what it must be like with both people converted as opposed to being in the world. Guilt was there as some of my sisters-in-Christ had never been married and shared just how much they desired this ultimate union as well as children. Consistent prayers were said for them but even now many years later they are not married and no longer of child bearing age. The guilt has long gone once understanding developed that God's will for each one of us is perfect. It seemed to me quite ironic yet again that all the things once said that I will never do have come to fruition. For those wanting marriage or needing wise counsel, please enjoy listening to the sermon from the link below as it was very enjoyable and informative at the same time for me. The other good news is that we have Part 2 and possibly more to look forward to in the future. May God show you where your "heart of gold" is if that is His will for your life and embrace this most wonderful time ahead when you are in serious preparation mode learning to love as God loves us.
https://www.ucg.org/sermons/marriage-and-family-part-1-why-is-marriage-so-important-to-god