Earlier in my life, I had never really thought about how important it was to take proper care of my heart, until I was forced to get some treatment for it. Back in the era of being a busy Mom with active children, I ignored symptoms that I should have paid more attention to. I was sent home from my cardiologist’s office with a heart monitor. It was a little portable holter monitor that I had to wear for a weekend. I found it more than a little intimidating, considering I was in my early 30s at the time.
The holter monitor recorded every detail of my heart’s activities. I learned some valuable lessons from it, and from that time forward, I was a little more attentive to my symptoms.
In life, we are faced daily with situations that affect our hearts. Stress, happiness, love, excitement, fear, anger, and grief. I also must mention that financial situations can trigger a reaction in our hearts, and there are probably a lot more things that I haven’t even mentioned.
The Lord gives us advice about our heart: "Let not your heart be troubled". He knows how our burdens can actually affect our health. Let’s face it, it’s very difficult, trying not to let these turmoils in our life get the better of us.
Philippians 4:6-7; "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
The weekend that I had to wear that holter monitor, I remember being afraid that I could perhaps lose my drivers license, or my job, which both depended on my quick responses and being alert, etc. My children were all involved in community activities and sports with friends, and the Moms in our ‘hood’ all took turns being chauffeurs. That was the way it was, and from what I see today with my own grandkids and my friends' grandchildren, nothing has changed in that regard. We are all essential in one way or another. Therefore, I had no time for restrictions! Pretty foolish of me, when I think back to that time.
What I did… or tried to do, was create a fake version of my normal life. I rested. I barely drove anywhere to eliminate traffic stress.
Dear Readers, are you ready for this? I sent my children away to relatives and sleepovers for the weekend. I thought I was pretty clever and could “beat the system” of this monitor!
Guess what? It didn’t work! I know the main reason which I hadn’t considered was the one who was REALLY monitoring my heart waves. My condition showed up. He made sure it did while I was getting all that sleep!
Imagine!
As it turned out, I had a fairly serious problem with one of my valves which was giving me the irregular heart rate. Fortunately for me, it was treatable with medication. That was over 40 years ago and my great Physician was on 24-hour duty, and still is to this day. He made sure I couldn’t tamper with getting the right diagnosis. Thank God, Jesus knows me way better than I know myself. How could I have been so foolish to think that I could get around that one?! I was known by God from before I was even formed in my mother‘s womb. My heart was molded then as was every hair on my head and every bone in my body.
In the Psalms, David tried and finally got his wake own up call! “Where can I hide from Thee?” he asked. “The day and night are alike to Thee”.
Back in those days, I was still trying to fight my own battles. Young, inexperienced, and still determined to have the last say, still having some stubborn ways about surrendering my will… over to Thy will. I will always be thanking the Lord for His promises about being patient and slow to anger whenever I didn’t listen. When my children were small, I would give them a time limit to finish their chores or they would get a time-out. If the Lord had done that with me, I would have used up many hours of my life on time-out!
Thank You Lord, for being my counselor, my parent, my teacher, my closest friend, and for continuing to monitor my heart from that time until now. I know it will continue for as long as I live, until I become a new creation in heaven.
It is a wonderful, secure feeling to know that no matter what I go through, even in the darkest hours when doubts may try to crowd in, my heart and my soul know that He is ever watchful, and that goes for every one of His children.
So if you are in a place of doubt and uncertainty today, know that the Lord, our faithful Shepherd, is monitoring us every moment. Asleep or awake, He’s got us.
Blessings, Marlane.
Excerpted from the book "101 Promises" by Marlane Lillian Mazur.
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