The Open Hearts series continues today with a guest post from the lovely Rebekah. I met Rebekah through her Words of Life Wednesdays, where she invites others to link-up and share life-giving words. Won’t you join her as we offer hope and listen to His Words?
I cannot accurately express how honored I am that Rebekah is with us today. These words are straight from her heart and will clearly and humbly lead you straight to His heart. I hope you realize the gift that you are receiving from her today. So thankful for this sweet friend. I hope you will connect with Rebekah; I know you will be blessed as I have been.
I cannot accurately express how honored I am that Rebekah is with us today. These words are straight from her heart and will clearly and humbly lead you straight to His heart. I hope you realize the gift that you are receiving from her today. So thankful for this sweet friend. I hope you will connect with Rebekah; I know you will be blessed as I have been.
Rebekah is a follower of Christ, redeemed by God’s grace, who desperately wants to love Him more. She has been married for almost 15 years to the wonderful man she fell in love with the first time she saw him ~ when she was still a teen. They have three beautiful children ~ a darling first born daughter, a dazzling middle son, and a delightful ‘not-so baby anymore’ little girl that they have had the privilege of home educating in a small rural community in Ontario, Canada. Their days are filled with rhythms and routines of living and learning. Curiously discovering about God and His world. Learning to love and live authentically. Although slight in size, she loves to laugh large. Rebekah seeks to find the joy in the midst of suffering. You can find more of the story of her life that God has authored at A Soft Gentle Voice.
Rebekah would be delighted to connect with you on social media.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebekahAHughes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asoftgentlevoice?ref=hl
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rebekahahughes
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/Rebekahhug/
Rebekah would be delighted to connect with you on social media.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebekahAHughes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asoftgentlevoice?ref=hl
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rebekahahughes
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/Rebekahhug/
The surgeon’s secretary penciled me in for open-heart surgery at the end of the month.
The ‘king of hearts’, one of the nicknames for the world-renowned heart surgeon, is going to take a peek at my mine and see if he can fix it. Dr. David was confident he could, until he heard I only have 30% lung capacity. Yeah, that makes open heart surgery tricky for even the top in the world.
Or it could make surgery impossible. The risks might be too high. First, he will do some more investigative tests to see if I can handle having my chest cut open, my heart and lung stopped, and a valve replaced after some creative corrective work is done on a damaged area of my heart.
It’s a strange thing to try to prepare for open-heart surgery without getting your hopes up that everything can be made well. I can’t quite describe my feelings as I wait to know if my heart valve can be replaced. It’s eerie, scary, a little overwhelming. Something like that. But more. All I really know is I need faith. So I keep asking God for more of it.
No one knows how long I’ve lived with a sick heart. We do know it is damaged from the cancer treatments that ‘cured’ the cancer I was diagnosed with as a three year old. Yeah, the cancer that tried to kill a kid; that disease that damages for life if it doesn’t destroy your life.
I happen to be a “good statistic”. I survived.
I’ve lived almost 35 years since I began the fight. I graduated from school, completed college, worked at a job, got married, had three children. These things are just a normal part of life, but for a childhood cancer survivor, it’s beating the odds to succeed at any of them. According to one study, the average age expectancy for a childhood cancer survivor is 37.6 years. I am 37.9 years old today.
I don’t boast in any of that. How could I? I’m still fighting. This war is still on. In fact, it never ends. I’ve passed the average, but long life is not generally a gift handed to the likes of me.
I’ve been given another gift: the intimate knowledge that life is a vapor. It doesn’t matter how long your life is, what matters is how you are living your life in light of eternity.
The ‘king of hearts’, one of the nicknames for the world-renowned heart surgeon, is going to take a peek at my mine and see if he can fix it. Dr. David was confident he could, until he heard I only have 30% lung capacity. Yeah, that makes open heart surgery tricky for even the top in the world.
Or it could make surgery impossible. The risks might be too high. First, he will do some more investigative tests to see if I can handle having my chest cut open, my heart and lung stopped, and a valve replaced after some creative corrective work is done on a damaged area of my heart.
It’s a strange thing to try to prepare for open-heart surgery without getting your hopes up that everything can be made well. I can’t quite describe my feelings as I wait to know if my heart valve can be replaced. It’s eerie, scary, a little overwhelming. Something like that. But more. All I really know is I need faith. So I keep asking God for more of it.
No one knows how long I’ve lived with a sick heart. We do know it is damaged from the cancer treatments that ‘cured’ the cancer I was diagnosed with as a three year old. Yeah, the cancer that tried to kill a kid; that disease that damages for life if it doesn’t destroy your life.
I happen to be a “good statistic”. I survived.
I’ve lived almost 35 years since I began the fight. I graduated from school, completed college, worked at a job, got married, had three children. These things are just a normal part of life, but for a childhood cancer survivor, it’s beating the odds to succeed at any of them. According to one study, the average age expectancy for a childhood cancer survivor is 37.6 years. I am 37.9 years old today.
I don’t boast in any of that. How could I? I’m still fighting. This war is still on. In fact, it never ends. I’ve passed the average, but long life is not generally a gift handed to the likes of me.
I’ve been given another gift: the intimate knowledge that life is a vapor. It doesn’t matter how long your life is, what matters is how you are living your life in light of eternity.
Your heart will stop beating sometime in this life. That’s guaranteed. It’s a given that life on this earth will expire.
We may be concerned about life expectancy, but life eternally is the crux of the matter. In earthly life, you want to make sure you have a healthy heart. To prepare for eternal life, you must make sure your whole heart beats for God.
So, Dr. David wants to see if he can replace my stiffened valve. He wants to make me better. And even though he’s done over 14,000 open heart surgeries, his experience, skill and innovative creativity may not be enough.
You see my dilemma? The risks may be too high for the heart surgeon to perform open-heart surgery. But, you can’t live a long life with a heart that has such a narrow valve.
Over and over, I go back to this promise:
“’Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” {Isaiah 41:10}
Did you notice that little word ‘with’. It’s been my word for the year. I didn’t know how much I would come to appreciate this basic preposition. All of our hearts are desperately sick, not just mine. We have all gone our own way, turned astray. If we insist on going our own way, it will lead to destruction. But, there is a way that leads to life.
God promises to go before us, beside us, in us, after us, to lead us and prod us all the way back to Him. God has not left us desperate sinners alone with dismal statistics or hopeless situations.
Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
By His death we are delivered from sin and death, and by His resurrection we are made right with God.
We may be concerned about life expectancy, but life eternally is the crux of the matter. In earthly life, you want to make sure you have a healthy heart. To prepare for eternal life, you must make sure your whole heart beats for God.
So, Dr. David wants to see if he can replace my stiffened valve. He wants to make me better. And even though he’s done over 14,000 open heart surgeries, his experience, skill and innovative creativity may not be enough.
You see my dilemma? The risks may be too high for the heart surgeon to perform open-heart surgery. But, you can’t live a long life with a heart that has such a narrow valve.
Over and over, I go back to this promise:
“’Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” {Isaiah 41:10}
Did you notice that little word ‘with’. It’s been my word for the year. I didn’t know how much I would come to appreciate this basic preposition. All of our hearts are desperately sick, not just mine. We have all gone our own way, turned astray. If we insist on going our own way, it will lead to destruction. But, there is a way that leads to life.
God promises to go before us, beside us, in us, after us, to lead us and prod us all the way back to Him. God has not left us desperate sinners alone with dismal statistics or hopeless situations.
Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
By His death we are delivered from sin and death, and by His resurrection we are made right with God.
He removes our hearts of stone and gives us hearts of flesh to yearn for Him. There is no risk involved for us.
Instead the Greatest Heart Physician promises three things in the verse I cling to:
• God will strengthen you
• God will help you
• God will uphold you with His righteous right hand
The heart surgeon, the one who says he’s addicted to heart surgery; that it is his passion in life, he might say he can do it. He wants to help me. But, he won’t give his life to save mine.
Instead the Greatest Heart Physician promises three things in the verse I cling to:
• God will strengthen you
• God will help you
• God will uphold you with His righteous right hand
The heart surgeon, the one who says he’s addicted to heart surgery; that it is his passion in life, he might say he can do it. He wants to help me. But, he won’t give his life to save mine.
The One who passionately loves, pursues relentlessly, and promises to be with us, gave His life so we can have new hearts and eternally be with Him.
Yeah, I’m scheduled for open heart surgery at the end of this month.
But, the new heart I already have been given has secured my spot to sing praise for all eternity to the God who saves.
With My Whole Heart,
Rebekah
Yeah, I’m scheduled for open heart surgery at the end of this month.
But, the new heart I already have been given has secured my spot to sing praise for all eternity to the God who saves.
With My Whole Heart,
Rebekah
Beautiful… You will be in my prayers…
Thank you, Linda.
I loved reading this. Prayers for you and your family as you face this time ahead. Prayers to as you continue to encourage us to let God love us and for us to love Him in return. Emmanuel – “God WITH us.”
I deeply appreciate your prayers. Thank you for joining me here today as I opened up my heart that we might turn our eyes to Jesus. Thank you for praying!
Rebekah, praying God will prepare your body for this upcoming surgery and that your spiritual heart may have the peace of knowing He is right there with you. May the surgery be successful and your soul continue to rejoice. This was such a beautiful message of God’s constant presence and amazing love for us. Blessings to you.
Thank you, Sabra, for your prayers and encouraging words. May we always rejoice in the Lord. Always.
Love this: “But, the new heart I already have been given has secured my spot to sing praise for all eternity to the God who saves.”
May the Lord bless your surgery and guide your surgeon, and thank you for sharing your life lesson here with the rest of us.
It was a humble privilege to share this from my heart. May it continue to bless and bring glory to the Lord God.
GOD has given you a remarkable gift of writing Rebakah, your words are comforting, uplifting and inspiring. All the pictures you take and of your family are beautiful. Rebakah you and the family are continually in my thoughts and prayers for the up coming week and always. Let us cling, trust and believe, to this wonderful verse Isaiah 41:10
Joanne,
Your words encouraged me just at the right time. Thank you! God is faithful and continues to give us strength.