A Healthy And Glad Heart

A Healthy And Glad Heart

No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. Acts 2:26-27

“It’s kind of late for a farmer to be sleeping in, isn’t it?”

Brett opened his eyes, yawned, and smiled. He was usually up and out before the rooster crowed, but he’d had heart surgery the day before and was still recuperating.

Brett had grown up on a meat and potatoes diet—usually with dessert to polish it off. And like many of my patients whose diets had placed them at an increased risk for premature heart disease, his unhealthy eating habits had caught up with him. At forty-two, he was much too young to have undergone heart surgery.

“Brett, your heart surgeon gave me a call yesterday. That surgery saved your life. He said you needed a four-vessel bypass and that you had a 99 percent blockage in the left coronary artery—that’s what we call a widowmaker. You’re a lucky man to have this much heart disease and not much muscle damage.”

“I am thankful,” Brett said. “That widowmaker almost caused me to meet my maker! But I know that God has a different plan for my life.”

“You’re right. He does, but you’re going to have to make some different choices about your health—specifically, your diet.”

“I know. You’ve been preaching to me about diet, exercise, and especially watching my portions. Being in the ICU gives a man a lot of time to think. I realize that instead of my friends and family gathering at my bedside right now, they could be gathering at my graveside. Not only am I going to make changes, but I am going to make sure everyone I know realizes they need to make changes too.”

Brett was faithful to his word. He made a major overhaul to his life and became an evangelist to his friends and family, not only for God’s goodness, but also for good health. Each day, when he gets up before the rooster crows, he thanks God for his second chance.

TODAY’S RX

When faced with a major blockage in your heart or in your soul, look to God for a way to bypass the damage and start a new life.

Lord, you are a God of second chances, allowing people to be reborn into new life with you. Thank you for not giving up on me, and instead showing me the way.