Healing in Your Heart Language

“Heart language” refers to the language in which a person naturally thinks, feels, and communicates most deeply. It is the language they are most emotionally and cognitively connected to, often their first or native tongue. This term is commonly used in linguistic, educational, and missionary contexts to highlight the importance of using one’s most familiar language for effective communication, learning, and spiritual connection.

I think in English, I dream in English—it is my heart language. I have never had to translate something I’ve read or heard into another language to fully understand it. But many people do. Their minds constantly shift between languages as they process information. Imagine that for a moment—what must it be like to hear something in English, such as directions to a store, and have to translate it into your native language to comprehend it fully? Or, what if I tried to give directions in your language, but got the translation wrong? My instructions might lead you astray.

Directions matter—we all want to reach our destination. But what if the message we are conveying is more profound than “Turn right on 7th Street, and the store is two miles on your left”? What if we are communicating ideas with deep spiritual significance, such as the radical truth of the Gospel in relation to a woman’s abortion decision? Will she truly hear and embrace it if she must first filter it through English?

In Isaiah 55:11, the Lord says:

“…so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

I know that God uses our imperfect words to speak His truth, and I am grateful for that. But I am even more grateful when we can share Jesus’ saving grace with someone in their own language.

And that brings me to some exciting news:

I am absolutely delighted to announce the release of Perdonada y Liberada, the Spanish version of Forgiven and Set Free!

It is available now in the Care Net Bookstore.

I could not be more thrilled to have this resource in Spanish. Not only is Spanish the second most common language spoken in the United States, but it is also the second most spoken native language in the world, after Mandarin Chinese. (And by the way, Forgiven and Set Free has also been translated into Mandarin and Simplified Chinese—email me if you need those!)

This got me thinking—how many people in the U.S. speak Spanish as their first language? The answer: 13% of the population. As a visual thinker, that translates to a little more than every tenth person I encounter daily.

Then, I looked at the annual renewal data you report to Care Net. I found a steady increase in the percentage of Hispanic and Latino clients served in our pregnancy centers over the past 15 years. The latest data you reported shows that 23% of the clients you serve fall into this demographic. That’s why Before You Decide brochure has a Spanish version, and why the Doctor Dad curriculum was translated into Spanish.

That led me down another data rabbit hole: Hispanics and Latinos account for 19% of the U.S. population, yet they comprise 30% of all abortions. Abortion disproportionately affects this community. Since becoming the Director of Abortion Recovery and Care in June 2021, I knew there was a deep need for Forgiven and Set Free in Spanish. You have asked me for it—more times than I can count. Thankfully, I had access to a digital copy of an older version of the book to share while we waited for this project to come to fruition.

Those of us who have an abortion in our past move through life as the walking wounded until Christ heals us. It was hard enough for me to give voice to my grief and pain in my own language—I can’t imagine how much more difficult it would be to try to find the right words in another. Some emotions, experiences, and spiritual truths are so deep that only certain words in our heart language can express them.

From Perdonada y Liberada:

¿Quién es Dios? ¿Es accesible? ¿Podemos confiarle nuestro dolor? ¿Realmente entendemos quién es?

Este es el capítulo más largo del estudio y posiblemente el más importante porque revela el carácter de Dios. Si no sigues a Cristo, esta sección te lo presentará.

Comprender quién es Dios nos invita a acercarnos a él. Saber quién es Dios nos anima a ser como él, a amarle, a responderle con obediencia y a presentarle nuestras necesidades. En el último capítulo, tuviste la valentía de asimilar tu experiencia del aborto. Ahora, tómate tu tiempo para aprender los nombres de Dios, sus atributos y cómo nos ama y se relaciona con nosotros.

(Translation:)

Who is God? Is He accessible? Can we trust Him with our pain? Do we truly understand who He is?

This is the longest chapter of the study and possibly the most important because it reveals the character of God. If you do not follow Christ, this section will introduce Him to you.

Understanding who God is invites us to draw near to Him. Knowing who He is encourages us to be like Him, to love Him, to respond to Him with obedience, and to bring our needs before Him.

In the last chapter, you bravely took the step of processing your experience with abortion. Now, take your time to learn the names of God, His attributes, and how He loves us and relates to us.

Before we can trust God with our sorrow and shame—before we can even consider forgiving those who hurt us, or acknowledge our desperate need for a Savior—we must first know who God is.

Forgiven and Set Free introduces us to Him.

And Perdonada y Liberada introduces Him to our Spanish-speaking sisters in the way they can best receive Him—in their heart language.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude when I think about the vast number of people who could be reached by this resource. I pray it will touch countless lives, bringing healing and hope to those who need it most.