A couple of months ago, I spoke to my friend Phil about putting our condo up for sale. It had been a while since we last spoke, and during our conversation, we caught up on life in general. Also, during our talk, I asked how he was doing. “I’ve had bad heartburn in the past few days. No matter how much antacids I take, it won’t go away. I’m also eating softer foods like soup, but it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.”

The following day I called to follow-up on his condition, and he told me he couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t sleep the night before and would be going to urgent care. Not long after that, they immediately sent him to the emergency room.

After running some diagnostics tests and exams, they discovered three of his four aortic arteries were clogged. Without realizing it, he was moments away from a potential heart attack. What’s more, they refer to his condition as the “widowmaker.” By God’s grace, they discovered this just in time and immediately set-up a triple bypass surgery.

Today he’s recovering and regaining strength daily, but it will be a while until he’s back up to his regular self. He didn’t expect this to happen at forty-nine years of age but grateful for this second chance at life.

His story reminds me of how scripture shows us how God promises to give us all a new heart and a new spirit to have a second chance at life. Not only in this one, but for eternity with Christ.

Daily Directive:

Answer and Journal the Following

Read:

Read and meditate on Ezekiel 36:25-27. 

Pray:

What is the condition of your spiritual life? How do you know if it’s healthy? Be real; be honest.

Meditate / Make It Real:

If you haven’t done so, repent and pray to ask Christ to forgive you. In doing so, he will give you a new heart and spirit along with the promise of eternal life.

Share / Show:

Share this with a fellow brother and have them hold you accountable.