The Wooden Heart

A few years ago while on a mission’s trip doing disaster relief I found a wooden heart embedded in the ground. It was completely covered with mud and all kinds of nasty things. We have no idea where it came from or how far the tornado carried it. But as I was cleaning debris I found it, covered it in my bandana and stuck it in my pocket. Later when I came home and unpacked everything I found it, cleaned it as best I could and kept it in my living room as a reminder. Sometimes our hearts become so encrusted with the dirt of life, it almost seems hopeless. But all you need to do is clean off the crud, and a beautiful new heart is revealed.

It’s the same with people. Sometimes we get so sucked into bad habits and bad choices that it doesn’t seem we’ll ever become “clean” again. But if we slowly start making changes, we can watch the old layers slowly start to be removed. And soon, just like with my wooden heart, a new person will be revealed. Better than before because you’ve weathered the storm and survived.

So in this season of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for family and friends, but also thankful for the choices I am making towards my new life. A cleaner life.