Susan's Heart

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence – Psalm 16:11

My dear friend Susan shared with me recently that when she receives her daily 3pm Wake Up Call from God that it gets her heart “unstuck.”  The condition of Susan’s heart is very important to me.

Several years ago, I stood at Susan’s bedside after a cardiologist had implanted a pacemaker in her heart.  Her pale face smiled with an exhausted relief, but her eyes still twinkled with joy as she read the prayer I had written for her.  We hugged long and hard after her doctor gave her permission to leave the hospital and get back to life.

Think for a moment about your heart.  Place a hand over it and feel it beating.  What’s the health of your heart?  What fills most of the spaces within it?  What would God hear if He listened into your heart?

 As Susan and I “pondered life” one hot summer evening, she shared with me that God has used her heart’s “weird rhythms” to teach her a vitally important truth: Every day is a gift from God.  Loving her grandchildren is a gift.  Camping with her husband is a gift.  Walking to her daughter’s house is a gift.  As long as her heart beats, she is determined to enjoy and be grateful for her family and friends.

Susan’s heart beat might be off a bit, speeding up or slowing down in strange patterns, but I can attest that her heart is in incredible condition because it is filled with grateful joy.  What’s awesome for me is that her heart condition is contagious.  I truly feel closer to God when I’m with her.  As I look into her eyes, I see love and acceptance.  When I share my struggles and highest hopes, I feel heard and important because she is present and intently listening.  

When I ask her how she does it, she answers “I am present in God’s presence.  I live every moment because it is a gift from God.  I don’t know how many days I have, so I don’t worry about tomorrow.  I choose to love today.”

Wow!  I sat back in my chair and took a deep breath as my heart filled with joy.  That’s cherished truth from a wise heart.  

Regardless of our health or how many days we have left on this earth, let’s choose to get our hearts “unstuck” like Susan’s.  Let’s choose to be present in God’s presence today.  It it there where our hearts are filled with joy.

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Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement