IQ # 266 An Open Heart Part 3: It Is Well

James 1:2-3 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

“Grander earth has quaked before, moved by the sound of his voice. And seas that are shaken and stirred can be calmed and broken for my regard.

And through it all, through it all, my eyes are on You. And through it all, through it all, it is well. And through it all, through it all, my eyes are on You. And it is well with me.”

It has been just over four weeks since my heart by-pass surgery and my recovery is going very well, and I am gaining new strength every day. 

As I reflect back on ‘going under the knife’ I never was overly scared about what was going to be done with me, because I had a strong faith in the abilities of my surgeon and his medical staff, loving support from my family and friends, and the knowledge that my heart itself had no damage, just the plumbing to and from it were messed up. But more importantly, I had cast my eyes on my Father. It is the faith and trust I have in God, through Jesus Christ my savior, who, through his love, provided all those in my life at that time of need, and through it all, it is well.

Kristene DiMarco’s lyrics to ‘It Is Well’ have been going through my mind ever since my surgery. No matter what this world throws at us that causes unbearable pain, we can persevere by keeping our eyes focused on Jesus, the Christ. He will calm the storm with God’s almighty power, so that joy will be our reminder of the love that he has for all that call his name

The pain from the surgery is nothing compared to the pain a parent feels when faced with possibly losing a child to sins of this world. There is no medicine on earth that can relieve that life consuming pain.  Having a belief in God, however, produces an inner strength that can be hard to imagine by anybody unfamiliar with God’s power of healing. 

“And far be it from me to not believe, even when my eyes can’t see. And this mountain that’s in front of me, will be thrown into the midst of the sea.

 And through it all, through it all, my eyes are on You. And through it all, through it all, it is well. And through it all, through it all, my eyes are on You. And it is well with me.”

So, let go, my soul, and trust in him. The waves and wind still know His name.”

Last week I attended a poetry reading that a student I have known for several years, had put together. “The POE Project” was an open mic night for anyone willing to share their own poetry or just share their thoughts. Donations were also collected and went to a foundation for mental awareness.  The turnout was great and dozens of young students took turns sharing their inner most feelings on depression, anxiety, drugs, suicide and other personal struggles. It was amazing and heart wrenching to see and hear so many young people opening up about their lives. And through it all, you could see God at work, showering them with strength, comfort and most of all, a purpose to persevere.

The sinful nature of this world can bring tremendous amounts of diseases into our lives and damage our hearts beyond repair, if we are not equipped with an army ready to battle what wants to destroy us. God’s army is built to move mountains, calm the winds and tame the wildest seas.  God will do whatever it takes to spare your lives from Satan’s seductive destruction, all out of his great love for you.

“So, let go, my soul, and trust in him. The waves and wind still know His name.

And through it all, through it all, my eyes are on You. And it is well with me.”

To have an open heart it may require a surgery to unblock what has corrupted its flow. Jesus Christ poured out all of his blood for you and me, so that we could have a new life. Accept his gift and let your heart be freed.

John 5:9:17