Heart Matters

by Amy Oyler

“C reate in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

Well, age and genetics have finally crept up on us. There are two of us dealing with heart issues in our immediate family now. Me. And the dog. Yes, Humphrey and I are now both heart patients. You may be asking yourself how we came to this place and what the diagnosis is. For me, I have a “weakened heart” from an unknown cause, indicated by a pounding and irregular

heartbeat over several months’ time. For Humphrey, it’s a heart murmur that has increased a stage level, indicated by occasionally coughing like a cat with a hairball. I’ve had to think about my physical heart more in the last six months than I had my previous 51 years. And now I have to worry about the dog’s heart condition, too. There has been no pain involved, for which I am grateful. I am on medication now, which I loathe, but I do appreciate that it can be treated that way.

Suddenly, being a heart patient is stressful, scary, and has kept me up nights. It could be much worse, and I am

acutely aware of that. Although I have never been a fitness buff, I have always attempted to maintain a decent level of health and physical activity. Now that physical activity is doctor-prescribed, anxiety has quietly slipped in as well. And guilt. I feel guilty for worrying about myself when there are so many other people to worry about.

In conjunction with this new chapter of my life, I’m trying to also consider my spiritual heart more. Am I in good standing with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? What about my family and friends? Not to mention those outside of the realm of people I love. What am I doing to have a healthy spiritual heart? Some of you may remember Don Henley’s song “Heart of the Matter.” I like these simple words in the chorus: “I think it’s about…forgiveness.” How true. It’s what the Father offers us when we repent. We ask in The Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We need forgiveness from the Father and, being forgiven, are obligated to extend it to each other. It’s what Jesus came to Earth to die for: forgiveness of our sins and our salvation. The Psalmist asks God to create a clean heart in him. Our spiritual heart health is as important as our physical heart health! While we often think our issues are unique to our time, there really is “nothing new under the sun,” as the writer of Ecclesiastes said several millennia ago. Human nature and human hearts have not changed. It’s always been about forgiveness. It’s always been about what is in our hearts. I cannot control others’ hearts, but I can ask for the Holy Spirit to live in mine. My heart matters, and so does yours!

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