A New Heart

I wrote this a while ago, and I finally got around to posting it. It was sort of a journal entry/ what God was speaking to my heart. 

On my 16th birthday I received a very special gift from one of my very best friends. It was a beautiful necklace that he made himself. In the middle was a cross, and hanging off of it was a small heart-shaped charm, held by a small hoop. I wore it every day, never leaving the house without it. I got compliments about it all of the time. I smiled with pride, I felt special knowing that my friend had made it for me.

I was in art class recently when I realized that the heart had fallen off. I looked for it everywhere, and I couldn't find it. I looked through my backpack, hoping it had fallen in there somewhere. My disappointment grew with each notebook I flipped through and every moment I spent searching.

I told my friend about it, expecting him to be as upset as I was when I first found out. He had worked so hard on it. I felt like I had failed him, felt ashamed that I had let it break when I knew he had spent so much time making it perfect. His expression didn't change. He simply kept smiling and said "I'll just make you a new one." I told him he didn't have to, but he insisted that it wasn't a big deal. 

Today he made me a new charm, sending me pictures while he did so. I felt really thankful that he wasn't upset about it. That he was so generous and kind and instantly wanted to fix it for me. He actually told me he liked this one better than he liked the first, and I had to agree with him. 

He dropped off an envelope with the charm and handwritten directions on how to attach it to the necklace. He told me that I don't have to worry about if it breaks again, because he'd fix it. I showed the charm to my mom and said "Look, he made me a new heart. Isn't that sweet?" God spoke to me as the words escaped my mouth. 

You see, this situation is a great picture of how we might sometimes relate to Jesus. He gives us this wonderful gift of life, completing us with a heart made perfectly by him. While we can't misplace our heart, we can do things that make it gross and undesirable. Once we start searching for what we once were, He steps in. He tells us that we can stop searching and just surrender to Him. He begins to work in us. He doesn't get angry, He simply says "I love you, and I would do anything for you." His death on the cross allows us to be made new. We can be washed clean. Not only does he get rid of our nasty, filthy, dirty, sin-stained hearts, he creates a clean, pure, new heart. Just for us. Complete with His promise that when things get lost or broken, He will do whatever it takes to make things right again, better than they were before. ♥