My Heart Story: A Reflection

My Heart Story: A Reflection

730: a number that may at first seem large, but in the grand scheme of life, is relatively small. This is the number of days that have passed since my heart surgery, since my life took a fundamental shift, since I was handed a second chance at a life filled with energy and abundant joy. In the course of 730 days, so much has changed.While the change began at the pinnacle point of having a functional heart, the alterations it imprinted on my life did not come at once. I expected an immediate transition into the new life I'd been given, and to a certain extent, that was true (easier breathing and fully oxygenated blood, for example.) In many other ways, though, it was a stretching, and at times painful, process (most specifically in the athletic realm.) I expected to come out of surgery with running shoes on, ready to tackle marathons and mountains. Although exercise was no longer the dreaded experience than it had been for 18 years of my life, I had to learn how to do things that other people had been doing for years (running a mile and learning what the machines at the gym do, to name examples.) There were many moments of being frustrated, of wanting to reach the end goal sooner, of wishing I had been given the athletic advantage I perceived other people had. However, because of those exasperating moments of going from a 15-minute to an 8.5-minute mile, of awkwardly watching fellow gym-goers to figure out what I was supposed to be doing, of putting in the mundane and repetitive hours, the reward on the other side became so much sweeter for the waiting. It has been a steep, uphill learning curve, but I am strong, I am healthy, and it is a beautiful thing.

In the past two years, I've been given a glimpse at what others have for centuries felt by the transformation of Jesus: overwhelmed by his grace, in awe of his goodness, and eager to walk in the fullness of his call on my life, and all with the knowledge that on my own, I'm so undeserving. On a small scale, I can relate to what the blind man must have felt when Jesus healed him- excited at having a whole new life, but a little unsure of how exactly to live it to the fullest.In moments of uncertainty, voices from the past encircle me with an uncomfortable closeness, akin to a pair of pants on the day after Thanksgiving, and tell me I am not strong. Stronger than those voices, though, is His voice, asking with an ever-certain patience and gentleness, "Micah, do you trust me?" Those 5 words brought comfort, strength, and determination. With those words, my feet were once more placed on the narrow road that leads to life. This simple question holds the power to refocus my life into perspective and refocus my heart on the one who gave me the second chance.While I never would have chosen the route of heart surgery, I have become incredibly grateful for the experience, because through it, I have drawn closer to Jesus and learned to trust him far more deeply than I otherwise would have. Through it, I am reminded that every day I live is because of his grace, a fact that pushes me to live with purpose.My heart surgery is forever a bittersweet chapter of my testimony, but rather than remembering the fear and pain it brought, I choose to remember it with celebration of a God who gives life abundantly. He is forever faithful!(To read my full heart story, click here: http://www..typesetwriting.net/uncategorized/his-heart-story-a-testimony-of-his-faithfullness/)