My father’s heart.
It sat for examination yesterday under the microscope of the learned. A blockage was found. A stint was inserted, and today he rests in the care of his beloved wife who’s been tending to his heart for nearly fifty years.
He didn’t know what the scrutinizing would yield. He only knew that he must submit his heart to the process of thorough assessment because earlier indicators urged him accordingly. He didn’t relish the idea going in. Who would? After all, heart business is hard business.
It requires.
It relinquishes.
It refuses.
It reminds.
Requires submission. Relinquishes control. Refuses the easy road. Reminds us of the fragility of life.
Indeed, heart business is hard business, and for those who are unwilling to bow to the authority of the learned, a heart’s health is often ignored. Left unexamined, a heart can become the fertile soil for a terminal disease. A death—physically, and even more so, spiritually.
But when a heart is allowed the light, when a heart is laid bare beneath the scope of understanding and superior wisdom, disease is quickly detected and a regimen toward heart healing is put into action.
Here’s the verdict according to John 3:19-21:
Light has come into the world. For a reason. For our heart’s examination. But men love darkness. Why? Because light exposes evil—the diseases that are eating away at the health of a heart. And quite frankly, we are a people prone to the easy of our hidden rather than the hard of our exposure.
We fear the light because of what it will require. Because of what we must relinquish. Because light always refuses the quick road to recovery and because light reminds us of our tenuous and frail condition. Light is our necessary portion, but often it remains our continual refusal because light insists on the truth.
And the truth about truth is this: Truth is the holy ground where the enemy will always wage his fiercest battles.
Evil thrives in the deep and in the dark and in the secrets that cower in perceived hiddenness and silence. Perceived because, even in the hidden and the quiet, Satan would have us to believe that this is where evil will remain. But this is his grand and unholy lie. Evil is never silent. Evil is never hidden. Evil insists on its own voice and evil persists in its peeking in and around the corners of our hearts until we can no longer refuse its anonymity.
Evil is the penchant of an unexamined life, and until our hearts are laid bare for a thorough assessment by the learned, evil will fester its growth and will foster its fatality into a life that was never meant to die.
Here’s the good news:
We were not made for the darkness. We are a people of light. A people who do not shrink back from the embrace of its exposure, but rather run toward it and bask beneath the light’s illumination because our faith dictates such a response (Hebrews 10:39). Jesus is the Light of the world, and it is for freedom that he has set us free.
Freedom to come into the light. Freedom to expose the deeds of our former darkness, and to walk in the truth of just how far we have come in the journey toward heart health and kingdom perfection. When we stand in the unveiling light of God’s truth for all the world to see, we stand as a witness to the transforming work of a lavish grace that bled for our release.
And here’s the truth about that Truth:
If our Father had never allowed his heart a thorough assessment—a full surrender to the process of a world’s heart cleansing through his son Jesus Christ—we would still be stumbling and fumbling around in our dark … in our death.
Unlike us, God knew what the scrutinizing would yield. It would necessiate his Son’s obedience to a cross. A Son who willingly chose the hard of an exposure that required his submission. That relinquished his control. That refused an easy road, and that painfully reminded them both about the frailty of the human condition.
Our condition. Yours and mine. A heart disease that required his heart’s submission, even unto death upon a cross.
My Father’s heart.
Who can fathom the depths of such a wondrous love?! Light has come into the world, my friends. He calls for our surrender today. Not to embarrass us or to shame us, but rather to free us from the chains of sin’s darkness. We can walk in the light because he is in the light (1 John 1:7), and he is our Father whose heart bled long and wide and high and deep in order to bring his children home. Thus I pray,
God of Light, illuminate my darkness. Shatter the lies of my sin with the truth of your grace. Strengthen my steps for the journey into the light, even though my flesh cries out for the secrets and for the dark. And when I am scared Father, about my exposure and the hard business required of me for my heart’s health, remind me of your Son’s willingness to sit for examination under the microscope of Calvary’s purification. Humbly I bow my heart to your authority and to your scrutiny this day. Amen.
Copyright © October 2008 – Elaine Olsen. All rights reserved.
~elaine
If you have the occasion today, please re-visit John 3:1-21. Read it again with fresh eyes. There’s a treasure trove of truth revealed through the Apostle’s pen and our Savior’s words. Shalom.
Yes, the “easy road”. I remember it so well, and it ALWAYS leads to trouble and tears.
Give me the tough way any day!
Proverbs 4:25-27 has long been my route … “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”
His WAY is easy, it’s the eyes and heart that have given me my greatest challenge, as though reading the roadmap backwards and upside-down.
Lovely thoughts,
Kathleen
Powerful writing Elaine. How it has resonated with the events of this past week that I have already shared with you.
“Evil thrives in the deep and in the dark and in the secrets that cower in perceived hiddenness and silence.” That entire paragraph (which I won’t copy here) holds such truth. Too often we believe the lie that no-one will ever know.
Heart surgery is not without risks and complications, but it is the only way to regain a heart that beats for Him.
Praying for your Dad.
Love ya,
Joy
Elaine, this is powerful. The easy road is just that- so easy. But the divine road is all things divine. Yes, it takes submission. Not always easy. But as you said, we were made for the light.
Thank you Elaine. This is what I needed today.
Shalom to you. Absolutely moving and eye-opening. I’ve had “Go Light Your World” by Kathy Troccoli going through my head much of the afternoon/evening, and this was yet another way of looking at it – a beautiful reminder of the promises of His light–our light.
I love this, Elaine: “We fear the light because of what it will require. Because of what we must relinquish. Because light always refuses the quick road to recovery and because light reminds us of our tenuous and frail condition. Light is our necessary portion, but often it remains our continual refusal because light insists on the truth.”
So true! Sometimes it is sooo much easier to stay in the dark!
you keep me turning to the Light, friend.
Hey, Elaine!
I’ll be praying for your sweet dad and mom!
Your words brought tears to my eyes. That we “fear the light because of what it might require…” just made me sit and think. I do plan on rereading John 3:1-21 tonight. Thank you sweet friend. Many blessings!
Elaine…I have been so busy—reading and writing for the Bible study…I have NEEDED to just rest and be fed…in the LIGHT. THAT is what I found here tonight.
We are dealing with more “sister” stuff. But I KNOW—believe and have FIRM faith that God—the LIGHT of the world…we shed the light abroad in our hearts and take us through the steps we need to take. I just never realized the way would be so long—and even lonely.
I love you and appreciate your words that are so TIMELY to my heart and soul.
Much love–Angie
In Bible study tonight we were reminded that though evil is in the world, God will be and is in control. He disciplines us just as He did those in Israel and Judah in times of the Old Testament. But for those of us who continue to rejoice in Him in good times and bad He will nurture us and keep us in His hands. blessings, marlene
Dear Elaine… Sometimes I just want to shove my sister into the light… but I know it doesn’t work that way, so I will pray. I tell others that prayer works… but when it comes to my sister, sometimes I nee dthe reminder!
The other night I actually had a chance to sit down with my husband and “watch a movie”. I is so rare for us to even have a chance to watch the news anymore. As we were flipping through the movie channels we came across this movie “EdTV”. I of course had to stop for a while because I just love Mattew McConahay’s voice. Your posting reminded me of this movie. Matthews character was constantly in the light. Camera crews followed him everywhere. How different would we be if cameras crews and their light were following us 24/7? The reality is that Gods light is following us 24/7 and it should make us sit up and take notice to how we are living our life. Though others may not know or see us as we walk though each day-in the good and the bad, our heavenly father is right there and we need to willinging take Him into every aspect of our day. steeping out of His light gives satans darkness fee reign to move in.
As always, you are a blessing!!
In His Graces~Pamela
Elaine,
Well done, once again. Your message is bold, but victorious. Lightness banishes the darkness…if we relinquish and receive.
I am reading the gospel of John and read John 3 yesterday. What powerful words are written there! I become so forgetful of God’s truth I would do well to read John continually!
It’s good to have you back. It seems your rest instilled a fresh passion in your writing.
Blessings,
Kelli
Aaaaaaah, feel so much better now. After a week of going here, driving there, putting out emotional fires with my daughter and praying out attitude issues with my son, I have been SPENT. You fed my hungry spirit.
I am headed off to a weekend retreat, but I will be keeping you, your mom and your dad in my prayers as often as they come to my mind. I’m sure this is very hard on you in many ways.
This one hits home for me. Thanksgiving Days are more special for me now than they used to be, because on Thanksgiving Day 2004, less than a month after my 40th birthday, I had a heart attack. Now every Thanksgiving reminds me to be thankful just to be alive.
They told me stress had a lot to do with my heart attack.
Since then the Lord has been doing a lot of work on my “heart.” Learning to trust, learning to rest, learning to love…God is the best heart surgeon!
Thanks for this entry.
Powerful post Elaine, as always.
Thank you for reminding me to allow God’s light to shine brightly ON my heart not just through it.
Light exposes…and requires the death of pride and the birth of humility…
Light emits heat and energy…the aroma of God’s Presence…
Light shines..with His glory…
Light fills the room…and expels the darkness of evil…
Light beckons…and we are drawn to it…
Your words bring light to many of us..thank you, Elaine..
I always feel like God has something huge for me when times are tough, and the road is not easy. It helps in the journey to know that and stay focussed on Him. Thanks for your inspiring and thought promoting words.
I’ll be praying for your dad and for your mom as she tends to him. I love your words….
Prayers for your father’s recovery.
Such keen observations of truth and light and evil and darkness. It’s amazing the places that the dark finds–places that seem well lit, where we expect to see light shining brilliantly, yet there are dark corners where truth and light are obscured.
Thankfully, we are seeing even in our current circumstances where truth and light don’t seem to be winning, the reality is that the darkness can never overcome the light. The hard part can be keeping the light shining when it seems easier to take that energy someplace else. In the end though, I suppose it’s the darkest places that need the light the most, so we need to stay and shine for as long as He calls us to.
Thanks for the reminder.
I have always heard what is true in the physical is true in the spiritual.
And I have seen that truth come to light time after time. But none more close to me than my father going through his triple bypass surgery almost two weeks ago.
All of the words you shared about your own father were so true of everything that my father had to do……It was definitely hard business…..especially the relinquishing of “control.” In the physical, as well as the spiritual.
No one close to the experience walks away unchanged. Period. It affected everyone in my family, as well as the people close to us.
But when my father finally relinquished control and let the doctors do their job, he gained so much….physically and spiritually. Amen?:)
Bless you, Elaine.
Much love,
Amy:)
Beautifully done! Thank you again!
Elaine,
What a refreshment course you have brought not only into my home today but my heart. That allowing Him to place my heart under the microscope of His word can be a very tender time between He and I. But I know that I know, when I allow Him to do so, there is a loving cleansing time that I would not want to miss for the world.
To get out all those little tiny things that are hidden deep to come to the surface and wiped clean….then His beauty can be seen.
I love ya!
Yolanda
Hey Elaine:)
I understand what you are talking about in your closing paragraph. Getting our heart’s healed and cleansed and made healthy. It is a hard road, but a freeing road, like you said. We do need to run to the Light! It is the only way to have life, and have it to the full!
Blessings to you,
katiegfromtennessee
This past week has been all about bring things to light and greater understanding of things I thought I knew.
No one ever wants such close scrutiny but once it is over–His touch is so tender–there is such great joy.
My heart is much healthier after this past week.
How’s your dad? Praying~
Incredible Elaine♥
Indeed, heart business is hard business, and for those who are unwilling to bow to the authority of the learned, a heart’s health is often ignored. Left unexamined, a heart can become the fertile soil for a terminal disease. A death—physically, and even more so, spiritually.
Last year I had to undergo some heart tests (physcial tests) – the prognosis: I had a “perfect heart” . Oh how I knew the real prognosis. My heart was far from perfect. Physically in excellent shape, but spirtually… not so perfect. Did I and do I constantly need heart healing that only God can give.
Prayers for your papa and your mom! (and you too)
Much love!
K
So good to see a new post…wishing you beautiful autumn days and joy!
I thought you were taking a break…but something told me to come over and take a peek. You are a teacher Elaine. You can’t avoid it no matter how much you want rest, want time to regroup your thoughts, your passions, His passion for your life.
I am praying that your work is coming along and that you are being blessed in the process.
Praying for you and for the health of your dad tonight.