Heart knowledge

My mom, 85 years old and legally blind, just had knee replacement surgery and they were going to send her to a care home and most likely on to long term care because they didn't think she could live on her own anymore. They didn't take time to get to know her, they just looked at the facts on their profile and made a decision. She got to come home because I went down to be with her for a few days to help her out. They still were very hesitant and thought a care home was a better choice, but let us make the decision. My mom started improving as soon as she was in her own place again.
Why do people make choices based on statistics? Why do we think we can know what's best for others ? I have had others make decisions for me based on what they thought was best, without talking to me and it has hurt greatly. I'm sure I have done the same. It is easier to just make a decision and trust our judgment than to take the time to talk to someone and see who they are and where they are, but it is very prideful.
There is a leader in our church who prides himself on his ability with people, yet, this man isn't willing to get to know others on a heart level and he often misjudges others. He seems to think he knows their motives without ever speaking to them at a heart level. He isn't the only one. I know I have often been guilty of the same thing.

Lord, help me to take time to get to know the hearts of the people you put in my life. Help me to love them and grieve over their foolish choices and to encourage them to wait on You and trust in what You are doing.

Ps. 27:14 Wait on the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage, yes, wait on the Lord.

Towards An Engaged Heart

"Who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?" declares the Lord. Jeremiah 30:21b NIV
The King James says "who will engage his heart to approach me.

I was struck by this verse and have been thinking on it and letting God speak to me through. Do devote myself or engage my heart is active and I tend to be passive. I read a lot and listen to what God is saying to me, but I am also quite busy with life and often just let life happen. I am humbled by this thought. When I make a quilt I spend time planning it, sometimes a great deal of time. Even my scrap quilts take planning to some degree. Yet, how much time to I spend planning my time with the Lord?

A book I am reading, Seeking the Face of God by Gary L Thomas, talks about our growth goals. I am not a goal oriented person, as is evident if you know me well. This as revealed to me that I need to have goals for my spiritual growth if I want it to happen.

He makes a statement "If we lack any concept of setting goals and continuing to grow, we'll have no idea whether we are stuck at the beginning, complacent at the middle, or making progress toward the end." I listen to the Lord and learn from His word and am making progress toward the end, but I admit I am doing it a bit aimlessly and desire to be more intentional about it.

I want to be careful in this though and not to be focused on fulfilling a goal, but rather engaged in the process and letting god work in it.
Thomas talks about Christian spirituality should be focused on what we receive more than what we achieve. Our world is big on achievements, but that is not how it should be in God's economy.

"If we insist on being an achiever, seeking God so that others might admire our faith, our commitment, or our dedication, we become God's competitor, trying to steal some of His glory."

I would never compete with God!
And yet, how often am I concerned with what others think of me, or whether they notice and appreciate me.