September 9-10 - Heart gift

“And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them.
I will take away their hearts of stone and give them tender hearts instead.” - Ezekiel 11:19

Overnight I haven't been able to get the futility of Mary's life, (yesterday's blog) out of my mind, the tragic waste of time and money spent on a search for considered perfection. It brought to mind an article I had read about a young man, Dan Olsen, who has also known more than his fair share of surgery, but for a very different reason.

Dan Olson is a marathon runner and long-distance cyclist. He’s also a heart transplant recipient. Dan thought his athletic lifestyle would ensure having a healthy body. But at age 38, he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy— the weakening and thickening of the heart muscle.

Damaged beyond repair, Dan needed a heart transplant. His donor was a 15-year-old car accident victim. Making the decision to generously donate their daughter’s organs in the midst of their tragedy, the teenager’s parents gave Dan a new life. “I think of my donor every day,” says Dan. “And I want to show her family all that their gift has allowed me to do.”

Before we became believers in Jesus, we had spiritual “cardiomyopathy”—the hardening of our heart (Ephesians 4:17). The Great Physician called our condition “a heart of stone” (Ezekiel 36:26 NIV). According to His prognosis, our stony heart was unable and unwilling to respond to God (Ezekiel 11:19). Untreated, we would have been dead, devoid of life (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13).

But then we received major surgery. We are also heart transplant recipients. This procedure was performed by the divine Surgeon (Deuteronomy 30:6; Colossians 2:11). He said, “I will give you a new heart . . . . I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put My Spirit in you so that you will follow My decrees and be careful to obey My regulations” (Ezekiel 36:26). Without this new heart, we could not be a believer in Jesus.

Dan's need for surgery was far from a vanity trip – it was essential to save his life. We also have received a new heart and it has saved us to a new life! Like Dan, do we think of our Donor every day? May this new heart empower us to “love Him with all our heart and soul and so we may live” (Deuteronomy 30:6).

(Acknowledgements to K.T.Sim)

The music choice today is “I Give You My Heart” - Hillsong – Holly Dawson. Click on the picture to listen.