Heart Matters-- What Matters Most

With excitement and anticipation I jumped on aplane last Thursday evening to Florida to visit myfamily and fish some with my dad. Six hours afterarrival I painfully watched while many types ofmedical professionals frantically, yetmethodically temporarily stop my father's heart inorder to prevent it not to matter twenty minuteslater.

We watch it in movies, we even practice it inmedical school, but when it is a part of your ownblood you some how feel like it's your heart to onthat table fighting for its own life. My fatherlooked like something out of the Matrix movie withall those wires and electrodes hooked to him. Ithought, "If I could only trade places with himand take the pain away." I prayed, "God let me beyou just for this moment and make all this goaway." I had to wonder though that God couldeasily come down and heal my dad or he could justtake him away from us up to heaven, however,either way I had to trust and obey. I also thoughtof the timing in which only a few hours after myarrival that all this was taking place. Couldthere be hidden meaning in all this? Are therepositives even in the face of death? Show me God,teach me something Lord I prayed!

My thoughts went back about three months to aconversation I had with a Christian friend ofmine. At lunch we talked about current events andhow much faith it took in the midst of death andtough relationships. He said to me, "Maybe God ispreparing you for things to come." I thought theonly thing I could think of worse than a closefriend dying would be my parents passing away. Thebible says in Matthew 6:21 "For were your treasureis, there will be your heart be also." Now as Iwatch my father in that hospital room I haverealized and am thankful that my treasures are notof what this world has to offer but its, "The Matters of the Heart" that are the mostimportant. It is not my job, my car, my house oreven my friends but even as painful as it is themost important thing is my heart reaching out formy dads and Jesus reaching out for ours.

I have to wonder if this is what Jesus feels likeevery day with us. While we lay on that hospitalbed of life, sometimes frustrated, helpless, andscared, what he wants more than anything torelieve the pain away trade places and take it allaway. And then I thought, he has done all of thatand much more. He died on the cross for us, he hasalready taken the pain away. And you know, knowinghe did that for me allowed all that fear andfrustration to disappear.

While my father didn't die this weekend in thathospital and is on the road to recovery, thisexperience has helped me to realize that it'struly not about the treasures here on earth. Whatmatters most is our trust and obedience in GodAlmighty. You see it is easy for us to trust andobey in the good times of life, but it's in thosehospital rooms and low points when we realizewhere our hearts really are and that is whatmatters most to God.

Where is your heart this week? Does it lie withthe treasures of this world or is it with the onewho died for you on the cross. For it is in ourweakness to where we find our biggest strengths.

Greg Ryan is a best selling author of the Changing from the INSIDE OUT series. A powerful five step plan to better your life, get healthier, and have more energy! For FREE mini Course click here! http://www.resolutions.bz