Ready for a Heart Transplant?

Because we were out-of-touch with the world last week while on our fishing trip, I missed two heart-breaking family notifications -- the passing of a dear cousin as well as the passing of the 18-year-old granddaughter of an aunt and uncle.

As I thought about our cousin, who lived a most beautiful long life of service to God and others, but suffered for many years from strokes, I rejoiced that he is where we all desire to be and know that our separation is just temporary. Heaven is where we’ll meet up with him again – sooner than later.

And, for our uncle, aunt and their children whose young 18-year-old daughter passed away, I could only think of heartbreak for a life lived for such a short period of time. I thought about heartbreak, heartache, broken heart and every other type of “heart” condition that needs mending, healing, restoring and I realized a heart transplant is what is needed. Psalm 34:18 says “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” I know that comfort so well because God gave me a heart transplant when my heart was broken. We’ve all had our heart broken in some way and I would say to anyone that God cares about you and whatever your heart “issues” are. In fact, it is in our pain that God is closest to us. He gives us a heart transplant when we seek Him with our heart “issues”. It’s His specialty.

For the heart that hurts from the passing of a loved one, He gives us a heart of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3). For a cold, stone heart, He gives us a soft, tender heart of flesh. For a heart that's guilty, He gives us a heart that’s forgiven. For the heart that’s troubled, He gives us a heart of peace. For the heart that’s anxious, He gives us a heart that’s confident. For the heart that’s lonely, He gives us a heart full of love. The heart that’s bitter and angry? He gives us a heart that’s forgiving and loving and generous instead.

So, today, if your spiritual heart is barely beating, I pray you to consider a heart transplant. I mean, go to God’s operating room where He heals the broken-hearted, sets the captive free, restores the years the locusts stole, breathes life back into your lungs, creates beauty where there were only ashes. I, too, knew pain, worry, heartbreak, concern, fear, and sadness. But, because I also knew the power of trusting in God and His great ability to heal and restore me, I reckoned with the lies of the enemy, and I opened my heart to the truth of God’s promises to me. I had a heart transplant.

There are voices in our lives that lie to us and they tell us we’ll never be healed, we’ll never get over the loss, we’ll never forget the past, we’ll never be restored, we’ll never love again. But we must come into agreement with God who makes us new again, restored and healed. We just need a heart transplant and be willing to live again because God makes all things NEW when He gives us a NEW heart and spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26)

The Way Maker is Here to Help Us Find Our Way Out

This morning I join others with stunned disbelief and sadness that we could live in a world where hate is so rampant that a single person could inflict such horrific pain as we witnessed yesterday. I watched the news video of people struggling to find a way out of what was thought to be just fireworks at the end of a country music concert, when in reality people around them were dropping from the gunshots.

I heard President Trump’s heartfelt plea for prayer and unity for the victims, their families, the first responders and our country to come together for peace. In essence he was saying "The way out is through coming together in one accord to pray for our world." I know that our Heavenly Father loves His children so much and He feels what we feel, including our pain and grief (John 11:35). "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted" (Psalm 34:18).

God wants us to "weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15), but He also wants us to do all we can to heal our broken world. If we give up, the criminals win. If we give up, Satan wins. He was "a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44) who "comes only to steal and kill and destroy," but Jesus "came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10).

There’s a song that calls God “The Way Maker”. I love that name for God. He truly is a way maker. The song goes like this, “God will make a way where there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me.”

God has proven this to be an accurate name for Himself throughout scripture and in my life. In Exodus 14:10-30 we read about the Israelites being led by God to the Red Sea. Just as they arrived to the sea, the Egyptians appeared on the scene. There appeared to be no way out. To the naked eye, the Israelites were sitting ducks, but God did the unimaginable and parted the Red Sea delivering them from the Egyptians.

As surely as the fans in that concert were looking for a way out of their terror, maybe there are those reading this post today who are also looking for a way out. Maybe you are one who feels like you are at a dead end -- hopeless -- unable to find your way out of a situation or circumstance. You’ve tried everything – from seeking counsel and pleading for help from friends and family. It may be something as severe as facing an arrest, a failed marriage, a bankruptcy, or a terminal illness. No matter what it is......there IS a WAY out!

That WAY out is spelled G-O-D. "And God is faithful; He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. When we are tempted, He will also provide A WAY OUT so that we can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

The WAY-MAKER, Almighty God, is on our side and He is everything -- our Guide, Confidant, Counselor, Healer, Peace & Strength Provider, and Source of Supply. I pray that, not only individually, but as a country that we shake off the negativism, the hopelessness, the spirit of hatred and turn to The Way Maker to direct and guide us through our mazes of difficulty to show us THE WAY OUT!
1 Corinthians 10:13 “And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide A WAY OUT so that you can endure it.”

Gratitude Even in the Toughest Times

Day 262 of Photo Inspirations -- Gratitude Even in the Toughest Times
Last night, my Life Group's discussion was about gratitude.  I asked them to write down 10 things they are grateful for in one minute.   Some beat the minute and wrote down even more things.

I did the exercise, yesterday morning.  I gave myself one minute, also, and as I started the stop watch, I heard my dishwasher running.  I wrote down "dishwasher".  My eyes went to my piano that Papa played and now so does our grandson, Payton.  I wrote down "piano".  I was seeing -- I wrote down "my eyes", and hearing -- "my ears"; I was sitting in a comfy chair -- "my furniture"; I'm flying to Seattle today -- I wrote down "airplanes"; I saw my computer -- I wrote down "computer and internet".  I glanced over at my refrigerator -- I wrote down "refrigerator".  When we express gratitude, it's typically about the love we have for God, our family, our food, our home and car.  But, in reality, everywhere we look, we see things to be grateful for.   And, when we live in an attitude of gratitude, rather than being bugged that the computer is too slow, we say, "I'm so thankful for my computer".  Instead of complaining about our "old" car, we say, "I'm so thankful for a car."

A grateful heart sees each day as a gift. Thankful people focus less on what they lack and more on the privileges and blessings they have. I told the ladies about a FB post I saw by Greta Van Susteren yesterday.  She reported that White House aide, Jake Brewer, and the husband of Fox News frequent guest Mary Katherine Ham was killed in a bicycling accident while riding to raise funds for a charity.   They have one small child and she is pregnant with their second child. Read on to see what a heart of gratitude says during the toughest of times. Just hours after his tragic death, Mary Katherine posted this picture and note on Instagram:  

"We lost our Jake yesterday, and I lost part of my heart and the father of my sweet babies. I don't have to tell most of you how wonderful he was. It was self-evident. His life was his testimony, and it was powerful and tender and fierce, with an ever-present twinkle in the eye. I will miss him forever, even more than I can know right now. No arms can be her father's, but my daughter is surrounded by her very favorite people and all the hugs she could imagine. This will change us, but with prayer and love and the strength that is their companion, we can hope our heartache is not in vain-- that it will change us and the world in beautiful ways, just as he did. If that sounds too optimistic at this time, it's because it is. But there was no thought too optimistic for Jake, so take it and run with it. I will strive and pray not to feel I was cheated of many years with him, but cherish the gift of the years I had. In a life where nothing is guaranteed, Jake made the absolute, ever-lovin' most of his time with all of us. This is a family picture we took a couple weeks ago. It was taken because Jake, as always, was ready with a camera and his immense talent. All four members of our little, growing family are in it. I can never be without him because these babies are half him. They are made of some of the strongest, kindest stuff God had to offer this world. Please pray that he can see us and we'll all make him proud. God, I love him. Psalm 34:18 -- "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you."

Oh, my!  This is one day after her husband's death, yet she found reasons to be grateful.  Obviously, she is a woman of gratitude. Her words,  "I will strive and pray not to feel I was cheated of many years with him, but cherish the gift of the years I had."  Instead of looking at what she didn't have, she looked at what she had. Shouldn’t we be so grateful....that at the worst, unimaginable crisis or heartbreak, we find so many reasons to be grateful?

The grateful heart is like a magnet that collects reasons for gratitude -- for the paper clip to hold those pages together; for the milk in our cereal; for the song that soothes us; for the clock we hear ticking; for the light that turns on; for the safe drive home; for the clean water from our tap, for the time we had with our loved ones.  Thank you, Lord!

May we choose gratitude as a habit that we choose daily as a way of life.  May we adjust our lens and see our lives and our world through the eyes of a grateful heart.  May we be overwhelmed with the beauty and abundance of all God has given us!
#Gratitude