The Heart of the Matter

My cholesterol levels tend to run borderline high regardless of how much flax seed I sprinkle in my daily oatmeal or hot fudge sundaes I deprive myself of. At my last physical my doctor suggested I get a heart scan. She thought why not, it’s easy, inexpensive, and lets you know if there are any calcium deposits that could be a sign of future blockages. It’s a good indicator of the state of your heart.

Sounded wise to me, so I called to make the appointment, and the next available slot was on February 14, Valentine’s Day. How ironic, an assessment of my heart on Valentine’s Day. That’s about as romantic as my life gets. Maybe I’ll ask my husband to drive me to the appointment and make it a real date!

In the Bible we often hear Jesus warning people against hardening their hearts. He often accused the Scribes and Pharisees of having hardened hearts which resulted in their inability to see him for who He was which ultimately led to his death. He also accused those closest to him of the same malady. A hardening of heart caused even the apostles to doubt and question Jesus in spite of the fact that they witnessed first-hand, his healings and miracles. His saving presence.

Hardening of heart seems to be something we are all susceptible to and something we need to take seriously.

Join me this Valentine’s Day in a heart scan. Let’s scan our hearts for signs of hardness. Those things that have deposited slowly over time that we might not be aware of and, left to accumulate, can cause serious blockage.

Unforgiveness, resentment, and jealousy that block us from loving. Heart ache, heart break, and suffering that block us from trusting again. Unbelief, arrogance, and self-righteousness that block us from the humility needed to surrender to a loving God.

We’ve been warned. Don’t put it off any longer. Find those hardened places and let the healing presence of Jesus soften them back to health.

Then go have a hot fudge sundae with extra hot fudge.

Joan