Our son-in-law recently offered to cut down a tree for us. We have watched its slow demise for the last few years, so we appreciated the offer very much. When he finished the task, he asked if we would like for him to cut the stump all the way down or if we would like for him to use his chainsaw to cut a chair. We decided a chair would be fun, at least for a while. It’s been a joy to watch grandchildren take turns sitting in it.
To our surprise, the grain of the tree on the back of the chair is almost a heart. You have to imagine the left side, but the right side is definitely there.
God is deeply concerned with our hearts. The New American Standard Bible translation has the word heart 794 times. When the angel of the Lord came to Zechariah to prophesy the birth of John the Baptist, he told Zechariah what John’s work would be. One of John’s tasks would specifically bless children. Thank you for the heart you have for your children.
And it is he who will go
as a forerunner before Him
in the spirit and power of Elijah,
to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children,
and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous,
to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Luke 1:17
Lovely post, as always. Thank you for this wonderful reminder. God is in the business of changing hearts and I love the numerous ways He reaches out to us. May His Word be fulfilled and let the hearts of the father’s (and mother’s) return to their children!