Our Journey - The Cost of a New Heart
Please allow me to begin by saying "Thank you!" for your love and prayers. We have definitely felt them, as we’ve witnessed God work miracle after miracle in our relocation to North Carolina, including the closing of the sale of our Florida home just three days before Irma came to visit! We are currently settling into life in the Tarheel State, seeking God for our next ministry assignment. This is an extreme step of faith, as we have no idea what He has for us. (Future blogposts to follow, I'm sure!). Although our future includes obvious uncertainties, we know God is the author of divine certainty and has great plans.
We will be making one more trip back to Florida this week to gather a few of our things and get signed off by a couple of doctors. Your continued prayers are much appreciated!
As I’ve shared in earlier posts, throughout our journey of seeking healing, as well as His plan for this new season, we’ve been extremely intentional in our prayer life, spending specific time each evening not only praying for ourselves and our own needs, but even more so for the needs of others.
Always included in these prayers is the request, “Lord, we give you our hearts. Please give us Yours.” Please don’t allow the simplicity of this short ten word prayer fool you. I’ll admit I don’t believe we fully understood the requirements of this requested transaction, as we had no idea how powerful and transformational such a request would be, propelling us onto a journey that is nothing short of life-changing and life-altering.
If we think about it, exchanging your heart for that of God’s is nothing short of miraculous. Although both scary and difficult at times, every step, prayer, and uncomfortable change has been worth it all. We’ve seen our hearts literally “move up” a few levels in transformation, much like that described in Ezekiel 36:26, wherein God declared, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
In our daily seeking of this new heart, here are a few lessons/insights which we’ve gained:
A BROKEN HEART TAKES TIME TO HEAL – Whether your heart is suffering physically, emotionally, or spiritually, healing takes time. God most often doesn’t immediately deliver us from that which we need deliverance, as most often His concern is not only deliverance, but character development. Taking this thought into the realm of seeking physical and/or emotional healing of a heart, we’ve learned there are no quick fixes.
IT’S NOT ABOUT HOW WE FEEL, BUT WHO WE ARE - Moreso than ever, we’ve both realized this transformation isn’t only about Stan feeling healthy, or our feeling better about all that’s transpired over this year. It goes much deeper - character and integrity, soul and spirit. Are we kind, generous, compassionate, forgiving, loving, understanding, discerning, wise, truthful and authentic? We may love Jesus well, but how do we love others? Do we hold grudges? Are we genuinely kind, or do we tend to be mean-spirited? Do we possess and practice empathy?
A NEW HEART IS COSTLY - This miraculous transaction requires currency. Although in the spiritual sense a new heart is free and immediate upon asking Christ to be our Savior, obtaining a heart like God’s isn’t cheap. There’s a process for our heart to resemble that of our Heavenly Father’s. A great deal of forgiveness, repentance and taking the high road is involved. The currency is that of humility, as without it, this new heart is impossible.
A NEW HEART CAN’T LIE - God doesn’t lie – never has and never will. That being said, when we exchange our heart for God’s, neither can we. We must always be truthful with others – even when it hurts and proves uncomfortable. Times of passive-aggressiveness are over. Speaking the truth in love is something that must be both learned and practiced, as it doesn’t come naturally. And being truthful not only includes being completely honest with others – but with ourselves. Periodic, regular, honest self-evaluation is vital. How are we doing emotionally? Spiritually? Mentally? Physically? What is the current state of our heart?
“Lord, I give you my heart. Please give me yours,” isn’t a prayer for the casual believer, but for the son or daughter of God who wants to be a full-fledged child of God – fully resembling the Father from the inside out. My desire is that I perpetually exchange my heart for His, as I know that daily I will encounter dozens, if not hundreds, of decisions to make wherein my selfishness is going to put up one heck of a fight!
Complete surrender has been a true test of our trust for the One we claim holds our lives in His hands. But has it been worth it? Oh my goodness, yes!!!
So as you go through this next week, I invite you to join me in thinking about genuinely praying this ten word prayer. Then settle in and get ready for possibly one of the greatest adventures of your lifetime!
We love you dearly and appreciate you greatly! Have a wonderful week as you seek His heart!
Cammie (and Stan)
