Keep Your Heart with All Diligence

Tami

My story began one Sunday morning in May, 2003

On a day devoted to worshiping God with our church family.

My husband, Maurice was the preacher for our small congregation,

And every week we met together for worship and edification.

Early that morning, as our three sons slept, I heard Maurice gently snore.

But I lay awake with sharp pain in my chest that had started a few days before.

"Must be a pulled muscle," I had told myself, and didn't tell anyone.

No need to worry my family with this, or spoil my children's fun.

I got up to make breakfast, and then woke them all up. An aspirin had lessened the pain.

But as we were all getting ready for church, each movement I made was a strain.

As we went to the door in our Sunday clothes, I knew what I needed to say.

"My chest has been hurting, and I was hoping by now the pain would have gone away.

Maybe a trip to the walk-in clinic would give me some reprieve.

With a good pain pill, I could still go to church if the doctor said I could leave."

So we parted our ways, and my oldest son drove me there without delay.

The doctor soon called for an ambulance, and I was quickly taken away.

At the hospital the tests revealed a badly blocked artery,

And they rushed me to the operating room for emergency surgery.

Three stents were placed in three arteries, and I was awake the whole time!

Soon I was in the recovery room where I could rest and recline.

Then Maurice and the boys came in with faces full of worry.

Although I was tired, I was feeling better and hoped to go home in a hurry.

The next day the surgeon brought shocking news when he came to do his round.

"If you had come in much later," he said, "your heart would have abruptly shut down!"

That night in my room, my tears flowed down as I cried with stifled breath,

To think that at the age of 44, I had come so close to death.

I wondered what Maurice would have done, my own Significant Other,

And my sons, ages 18, 12 and 8 could have grown up without a mother!

I prayed and thanked God for sparing me and for my life that He had planted,

And asked forgiveness for all the times I had taken life for granted.

Then I felt a great calm, and a verse came to mind as I sat in my room alone.

"The peace of God will guard your heart." That's a promise I claimed as my own!

So please take care of your body each day, and then enjoy good health.

Pay attention to the warning signs. Don't diagnose yourself.

Remember Proverbs 4:23 whenever you're feeling strife.

"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life."