What kind of heart do you want? In the photo above, we see a large, heart shaped, hole near the base of a tree trunk. Amazingly, the tree is still very much alive. It is not only the heart shaped hole that caught my attention, but what is in that hole. Stones fill most of the hole. Yet on closer examination there is also new life.
What do you think about the stones in the heart shaped hole? Take a moment to think before you read on.
I notice what looks like a complete split down the middle of the stone formation that also looks like a heart. It is actually two stones, though they could be mistaken for one. At first glance they look as if they are divided or broken. Anyone who has lived any length of time, from a child to mature adult, has had their heart broken. . . at some level. That brokenness in a human heart can lead to a range of responses and challenges.
Let’s not forget the little green plants growing next to the stones. For me, they are a promise of hope. Hope that there is always the possibility of redemption, a second, third, fourth. . . new start.
In Ezekiel 36, God tells His promised people that He will wash them, give them a tender heart, and fill them with His Spirit. “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” Verse 26
Jesus told His disciples: in John 14:1“Don’t worry or surrender to your fear. For you’ve believed in God, now trust and believe in me also.” “Loving me empowers you to obey my commands. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Savior, the Holy Spirit of Truth, who will be to you a friend just like me—and he will never leave you. The world won’t receive him because they can’t see him or know him. But you know him intimately because he remains with you and will live inside you.” v15-17 “I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous!” v27
How could we know that there was so much hope in a heart of stone? Our Creator is in always about forgiveness, redemption, healing and hope. It is ours to choose, then open ourselves to receive all that is offered.
It is easy to point at the condition of someone else’s heart. But what kind of heart do you have? (These are not the only two options.) What kind of heart do you want?
