Hidden beauty....my heart?

My Grandma commented on the last post....that blessed me! I didn't even know that she was technologically in the know! Cool. Thanks, Grandma!
Last post we were discussing what it looks like to guard our heart....we have been told to guard our heart because it is the "wellspring of life". It involves our spirit, our emotions, our soul...it is multi-faceted.
So why this picture? Well, the house is actually only a few blocks away from us and Tim took this picture because the house seemed so out of place in busy, city-scaped Vancouver. It almost looks like we're way out in the country, eh?
It reminded me of the way I sometimes see myself...grungy, out of place, broken-down, and needing a BIG makeover. My 'windows' are broken, my 'paint's' peeling, and I just generally need to be put out of my misery....BULLDOZED! But in this house I saw character....history....unfinished business......some hidden glory...I liked it. And it hit me....that's how Jesus sees me. I can just imagine the many memories inside the outer walls. Oh, if walls could talk, I'd sooooo wanna hang out in this house! ;p I bet there's hardwood floors and the attic's full of dust, perhaps there are some heirlooms of past owners.....maybe even things hidden in the walls! Who knows!?
But Jesus sees my insides....the innermost being.....the inside walls....He sees my heart and its character, my history covered in His blood, forgiveness....He sees the incredible plan He has for me and calls me precious.....and one day I'll walk in His glory.....Mmmm. Like last posts' Proverbs 4 passage, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life", I am beginning to understand why it is so important to guard my heart...it is so precious to the One who created it. My outsides might look rough, but Proverbs doesn't tell me to guard my physical form....my brown hair, my peachy skin, or even my stalky limbs, it says to "guard my heart". THAT'S what is precious.
I heard on the news the other day that a man in Vancouver poured gas around his ex-girlfriend's house and when in the act, was caught by her. The man took off after lighting the blaze and the girlfriend did not choose to put out the growing fire with a nearby hose, protecting the outer core of the house and any unsightly damage, but she ran as fast as she could INSIDE the house to grab her sleeping children and any important belongings and race them out of harm's way. The fire department was able to save the majority of her home, but based on her immediate reactions, the physical appearance of her home was not her concern, it was what the house contained, what it guarded....
My shell contains my heart and my heart belongs to the Lord Jesus and He shares His presence with me there....it is so precious to Him. I am just beginning to grasp the importance of a guarded heart. Thanks for reading....let me know your thoughts. I am still learning about this heart stuff..... more to come......