There have been a number of relatives, friends and
acquaintances of mine who have recently had heart attacks. One was quite
unexpected and probably the result of a seemingly harmless recreational
accident. Another came out of nowhere but was massive, requiring extensive surgery.
The last I’ll mention could have been easily avoidable, with plenty of warning
signs but with no preventative action taken. It has always been interesting to
me that we use the word heart to describe this muscular organ behind our rib
cage that pumps blood through our circulatory system as well as the equally
inaccessible core of all things emotional, intellectual, and moral within each
of us, often considered the figurative. It does, however flesh out to be the
most incredibly accurate way to describe this nearly indescribable piece of man
from which life itself flows and without which one is dead. So no wonder the
Bible instructs us, as a father to a son, to “keep our hearts with all vigilance.”
Having a family history laced heavily with heart conditions and life’s cut
short by the like, I decided several years ago to engage in preventative
screenings. If something could harm my heart, I wanted to know about it far on
this side of the widow-maker, bound and determined anything preventable would
be prevented. I want to guard my heart, my inner-man, with that same fervor. I
want soul wounds to heal long before they mar my heart. I want a spiritual diet
and exercise plan that strengthens my heart and I want to be in tune with the
condition of my heart as well as conditions in my life that could harm it. So how
is your heart and what could you be doing to be a better heart keeper?
