By Trish McClellan
In the last six months, two members of my family have experienced significant heart health issues.
Both were treated with the help of modern medicine and the latest technology, and I am deeply thankful for the remarkable progress that has been made in the treatment of heart disease.
There was a time—not so many decades ago—when heart problems often carried far fewer options and far less hope.
Watching loved ones walk through heart-related health scares has a way of getting your attention.
Suddenly, words like cholesterol, blood pressure, blocked arteries, and cardiac rehab become part of everyday conversation.
We are reminded to watch what we eat, move our bodies, and listen carefully to the signals our physical hearts send us.
But as I sat quietly one morning, reflecting on these experiences, I realized something deeper: while doctors work to keep our physical hearts strong, we have another kind of heart that needs just as much care. It is our emotional and spiritual heart.
Unlike the physical heart, emotional and spiritual heart health isn’t measured by machines or lab results.
It shows in how we deal with disappointment, extend forgiveness, carry the load of our burdens, and cling to hope.
It shows in how we love others, trust God when the answers elude us, and guard against the things we allow to take root deep within us.
Just as the arteries of our physical hearts can become clogged, our spiritual hearts can too—not with cholesterol, but with the things we hold on to.
When we refuse to extend forgiveness, bitterness, hurt feelings, and disappointments, we clog the chambers of our hearts in ways that affect how we relate to others.
Much like heart disease can be a silent killer, holding on to these things can quietly drain the life from our spiritual heart.
Physical therapists guide heart patients through exercises that rebuild heart strength, and in much the same way, prayer and time with God strengthens the spiritual muscles we need each day.
Just like the body benefits from consistent movement and care, our spiritual hearts grow stronger when we make time to nurture them.
Regular checkups are also an important part of maintaining heart health. Doctors monitor progress, and address concerns before they become life-threatening.
Perhaps we need spiritual checkups just as much as physical ones. Taking time to pause, reflect, and ask God to search our hearts allows us to recognize areas where healing is needed.
The truth is that the heart matters more than we sometimes realize. Not just the one that faithfully beats in our chest, but the one that rests deep inside our souls shaping our thoughts, guiding our words, and directing our responses to others.
As we care for our physical health, we need to also be mindful of the condition of our emotional and spiritual hearts. We need to take care to release what clogs them, strengthen what sustains them, and guard what matters most.
Until next time, keep rocking and reflecting.
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