This is a wonderful poem I received from Martha Ort after attending a Noble Partner’s Marriage Conference in Dallas, Texas. I enjoyed coaching them in a courageous conversation that provided them with a safe environment to share the words of their hearts. Couples often need to follow Jesus’ commands in chapter 18 of the gospel of Matthew. When we have a pressing issue and we go to our spouses they may not able to hear us. The intention of our hearts to communicate a special message ends up having the wrong impact on our spouse. The impact turns a courageous conversation into a combustible, outrageous conversation. We don’t realize that the filters through which our message must flow can sometimes distort our original intent. Our message must pass through our own filter of perceptions, experiences, fears, feelings, etc., and then pass through our spouse’s filters as well. A courageous conversation coach can help each person decipher the true intent of the message so the heart words can be discerned and a safe conversation can bring about reconciliation.

Heart Words

Heart words are a wonderful gift.

Without them the devil will sift.

    He tries hard to part

    The two from the heart;

If he wins there’s a great, ugly rift.

We stand before you today,

Admitting we were in a bad way.

    Our children could sense

    That we both were too tense

So they said, “Go to Dallas. We’ll pay!”

“Why do we need this?” we thought.

But in spite of our knowledge we fought.

    Because of deep fear

    We never could hear

And declined to do as we ought.

God’s mercy toward us is kind.

Only He can speak to our mind.

    We wanted to listen

    As our eyes, they did glisten.

In His mercy the way we did find.

Today a new couple you see;

Truth has again set us free.

    He gave us the heart

    To do all our part

And the rest is a gift to us, free!

—Martha Ort, August, 2006

Posted by Chris Hogan on Thursday, December 28, 2006 at 07:46 AM