My Relationship House: A Spirit Journey
61My Inner House
October 16th, 2009 - My Heart Core
I don't know if the term is official or not, but a friend with whom I've done some inner exploring uses the words "Heart Core" to describe the special inner place which reflects the thoughts and movements of the soul and heart.
His is a mountain meadow surrounded by a cool pine wood. It is deathly quiet there, and he is a solitary bear. He seems content thus.
My Heart Core is a country park kind of place, with a Colonial style Friendship or Relationship House.
What is a Relationship House?
I once took a personality test which asked me to describe a bowl, a wall, a fountain, a key, a house, what I would do if I met a wild bear, and several other things. Each item was intended to gauge something about my tendencies, personality, or outlook. The height of my wall, for instance, told to what degree I feared death (mine was a three-and-a-half foot high stone garden wall...hardly much of an obstacle). My skeleton key said that I craved knowledge. My cut glass bowl said that I viewed life as both beautiful and fragile. And my house was huge and full of windows, indicating that I had many friends and felt hospitable.
I don't recall when I first set inward eyes on my Heart Core house in its proper context, but I knew immediately that it was the manifestation of the house I had first noticed while taking that test.
My Heart Core is a country estate or parkl. It's got a bit of a wildwood look to it, with lots of hardwood trees ranged about. It has a wide lawn surrounding the house, and the grass looks as if it has been mown with a scythe, being 6 to 8 inches high.
The whole place is quite secluded, and while there are songbirds, they don't make much noise.
The Relationship House itself is painted white, and has no proper porch - an unassuming structure except for its size. I've never counted the windows, and don't recall being inside the house nor getting a good look at the rooms, but I know I could keep a dozen guests without feeling cramped.
Inside, the decor is richly Victorian, with lots of brass, dark green, and red. The many windows indicate that I feel kindly toward many people, but the remote location and lack of an actual driveway indicate that I'm choosy about who comes onto the property. While the house makes a grand attempt at being hospitable, I have seen that one must walk in from the edge of the property if one wishes to visit.
There doesn't seem to be much else to the property. At least, I have been unable to find out any other specifics.
What About Your Relationship House?
If you know what your Relationship House or Heart Core is like, please comment below. I am interested in hearing of your experiences and inner explorations of your Heart Core.
CommentsLoading...
Ivorwen, it may have been the self-same test, because now that you mention it, I think I, too, remember having to describe a pond. Or possibly it was a similar test.
Anyway, I hope you find out about your Relationship House, and are able to make good use of the knowledge. By and by, I plan to share some things I have learned from exploring mine.
You already know my Heart's Core, and so I won't bother you with the details. After reading your description, something came to my attention and I'd like to present my assessment to get your feedback.
The large house suggests a high regard for a home or place in which you know you belong. Being stately and Victorian, you greatly value and possibly aspire to the constant round of calling neighbors and friends; the warmth, intrigue, bonds, joys, formalities, frivolities, and shared hardships that made up the regal social life of a bygone, golden era.
But the fact that the house is secluded can have many meanings. Perhaps you wish to seperate yourself from the rest of the world, either out of choice or necessity. Perhaps you want to keep your relationships limited to a trusted few. Perhaps you don't want to be secluded, but find yourself wary of newcomers. I don't really know. What do you think?
Jarn, these are very useful suggestions and questions. I'm not sure yet what to think. The only statement you made which absolutely rings with my spirit is, "Perhaps you want to keep your relationships limited to a trusted few." I know this to be true. I also know I value relationships of any sort in a deeper way than most people. The sort of relationship which most people would label a "friendship" is, to me, nothing but a "good acquaintance" until the person and I have traveled many miles together, and been able to work through tough spots without flagging. For that reason, I know and enjoy a lot of people, but do not call most of them friends. You know, certainly, that you are among that few, and we have traveled many more miles than I ever expected. In that vein, you don't even need a calling card before showing up in spirit or physical reality. You can walk in, put your feet up on the best sofa, and I'll not chide you. But most people won't make it through the first outer 100 yards of trees without being stopped and made to answer their business...either by myself, or a trusted friend who plays watch dog for me. I am afraid that I do this in real life, too, either verbally or emotionally asking nearly everyone I meet, "What do you want?"
I like your suggestion that the large house means a high regard for home, and I would say this is largely true. I also know that I would like to find myself welcoming people of many kinds, callings, and classes into my home and life...but that more often, I feel overwhelmed by the presence of others, and apt to ignore their calling cards, or drop back by when they are sure to be out. :-)
There are exceptions to every rule, and I could tell a list of a dozen or more people who are welcome any time, day or night, for any reason...and who don't always formally announce their presence before making themselves at home in my Heart Core or Relationship House. (Since writing the original draft of this article, I've since found out a great deal about my Heart Core and its inhabitants, and I'll be sharing much of that eventually.) Incidentally, most of these really-and-truly-friends are males, and not the sort of people who would be easily approved by the religious set I've found myself answering to for most of my life. (In recent years, I've ceased answering to this set, you know.)
Lastly, I have a tendency to befriend strong-minded males who demand great allegience. In many cases, this has worked to my advantage, and I have gained several protective friends (including the dozen mentioned above). Sometimes, though, I misjudge, and find I've befriended an a'hole who wants only to hijack and exploit what I've worked hard to build (whether family, friends, knowledge, etc.), or who thinks they know better than I what is to my advantage, and keep trying to get that for me, though I tell them I don't want it. I've had to give a few of these the boot, and that has not only been a harrowing process, but also makes me second-guess my judgment, and be wary of many people who possibly don't deserve it. I know you know very well what it's like to give until you're in agony.
There. Whether I've helped or hindered, those are my thoughts.
I do not know about my relationship house, either, though I know what appeals. I often picture myself spending time in a log cabin, with a few simple furnishings. There is a wingback chair, a small table to the right of it on which are placed a cup of cider and a reading lamp with a rosy glass shade, and there is a fireplace to the left of the chair. The fire in it is beautifully warm and bright, and I am seated in the chair reading some wonderful, soul-satisfying book. All by myself.
Ahh, yes. I have been dreaming of this for two or three years now, and have prayed for the vision to come true.
But this is not exactly a relationship house, is it? Hmm.
LiftedUp, what you describe very well may be your Relationship House. Afterall, the LORD didn't mean some of us to spend every waking moment with others. :) He has made all sorts of people, as you well know, and some of us require less social activity than others.
This room sounds like a wonderful offer of refreshment and rest. Perhaps you ought to ask the LORD how He wants you to achieve this in your physical life, or perhaps He means you to spend some time in this room mentally and spiritually, regardless whether your body can join you.
I am wondering, though, what the house beyond this room looks like. If you ask the LORD to show you this, and you truly want to know in order to honor His purposes in your life, I see no reason why He wouldn't eventually oblige, though these things are all on His timetable, not ours.
If I were you, I would start by asking Christ to meet with you in the hearth room. As you will find out as I continue to add parts to this story, He very often has purposes for the fire beyond warmth and soul comfort. Sometimes it is a refining fire. Sometimes, He asks me to make tea on it for us. And sometimes, it is just for beauty.
The hardest part, the first time I met in such a room with Christ, was allowing Him to help me lay down my expectations of what our relationship should be. I hope you will not find this so difficult.
I took your advice, ButterflyWings, and asked Christ if my cabin room was a place wherein I could spend time with Him, my own particular place. It definitely is. I have been there only two times, but both times, I so needed to simply be close to Him, and He let me do that. Jesus was the one in the chair, and He put His hand on my head as I lay my head on His knee. The first time, I just got as close to Him as I could, and the second, I did that, and I cried as I laid down some things that were entirely too heavy for me. His peace and comfort were great.
Wow. LiftedUp, I don't quite know what to say, besides, May others seek and find the kind of security in Christ's presence that you have found. I know He waits for each one of us to come to Him thus, and just show that we desire Him in our lives, and long to be fully His.
May His peace be great upon you.
Ivorwen Level 1 Commenter 2 years ago
A relationship house is a wonderful concept. I don't know if I have one or not. At one time I took a similar personality test, but I do not remember describing a house. If I remember correctly, a pond and a body of water were on the list of things I described.