Tablet of my Heart

My three year old is infatuated with anything Dr. Suess. Particularly, he is lovingly attached to the book, I Had Trouble In Getting To Solla Sollew. We literally read this book daily….sometimes multiple times per day. A few nights ago, he asked me to read the beloved book for bedtime. In the process of moving into our new house in Florida, the bedroom lighting situation had not yet been resolved, and the boys’ room was fairly dark with the exception of one tiny lamp in the corner. I agreed to read “Solla Sollew” (as we call it), and realized, a few pages in, that I couldn’t actually see most of the words on the page in that dim lighting. Still, I kept going. I had it memorized for the most part. Although I know many children’s books by heart at this point, this one in particular struck me strangely. It’s a long book. It’s a wordy and somewhat complicated book. And yet, I can recite it from memory.

I immediately felt conviction like a kick in the pants, and my mind jumped vaguely to a passage in the book of Proverbs. Let me share with you what those verses actually say….Proverbs 7:1-3….

“My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” (NIV)

I began pondering those things that are written on the tablet of my heart, besides a multitude of children’s stories. Let’s see….I can name all 50 United States. I can recite for you a good chunk of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence that I memorized in middle school. Countless song lyrics (especially those from the mid-late 90’s)? Yep. Line after line from my favorite movies (and the favorite movies of my children)? Yep. But, ashamedly, there is not a single passage of scripture even close to the length of Solla Sollew that I know by memory. Sure, there are scattered verses and short passages that I can recall off the top of my head, at least pretty closely. But, to be honest, my tablet is pretty full of junk that doesn’t really matter all that much. It’s full of other people’s words. I want it full of the words of God.

I am making a personal goal this week to choose a passage of scripture that is especially applicable to my current life situation and struggles, memorize it, and meditate on it until it is effectively written on the tablet of my heart. Then, I will move on to another passage that I need to hear next week. And so on.

What is filling up your pages? What are you going to do about it?