Serving with a Whole Heart

After we hosted the Walk Thru the Bible conference years ago, Schar decided she could simplify the hand motions we were taught to help remember the major Bible events in chronological order, and teach them to our kids in Sunday School. She did so, and many of the kids who have gone through her training still use those hand motions when reviewing Bible history. It was to the picturing of Saul with no heart, David with a whole heart, and Solomon with half a heart that I was referring when I sought your prayers for a successful heart ablation.

In a heart ablation, the spots inside your heart that are triggering an erratic heart beat are burnt or frozen. When it was first being done it required open heart surgery, but now it’s done through catheters inserted in your groin and neck. When Anna found out I had parts of my heart frozen, she asked if was now going to be cold-hearted. I assured her that I wouldn’t, and that I trusted that even though parts of my heart had been killed, I would still have a whole heart with which to serve God.

Our ability to serve God with a whole heart, of course, is not dependent upon the condition of our physical heart. And if anyone needs to be assured of that fact, all they need do is look at Schar.

Schar had open heart surgery in 2006 to replace a faulty heart valve with a mechanical one. Then in 2014, after enjoying a traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal with the Carrolls and Wenneborgs, she went into AFib. The doctors tried to correct it with a heart ablation, but couldn’t do all that was needed because of the metal valve in her heart. She then needed another valve replaced through open heart surgery in 2015. When she now goes into AFib she knows it, because it sounds like castanets are in her chest.

I tell you all this to not only assure you of my desire to continue serving with a whole heart, but to honor Schar for doing so. She is not only the author of our children’s curriculum, but constantly revises it while teaching both her class and Wee Worship with a whole heart, and has been doing so for nearly 35 years.

You will get a brief look at the success of her program this Sunday morning when teachers share what they have been teaching, and students who are going into Junior High are promoted.

God Bless, Rick