Heart 'N Soul

Heart ‘N Soul

By Vickie G. Paver

Abigail forced herself out of bed after a night of tossing and turning because of back pain. She felt like she was at least a hundred years old. Groan. This is terrible, she thought. I’d like to go back to bed. Finally her feet touch the cold floor, which seems colder than usual. She made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth. As she gets a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror, she moans again. Oh look at the gray hair. This isn’t so funny Lord. I hate my hair being gray and it is almost totally gray now. Why couldn’t I be one of those lucky women and who still have most of their natural color of hair. I’m too young for this! Groan. How depressing. And look at my wrinkles---where do they all come from?!

Abigail takes her hands and stretches her skin back making it look smoother. The word face-lift comes to mind. Hmm, not bad, she thinks. She lets go and all the wrinkles fall back in place. Ugh, she thinks! But at the same time Abigail knows that she would not want a face-lift. Switching her concentration to her hair, she reasons she could dye her hair dark brown again. Then she thinks who wants the aggravation of dying their hair month after month! Looking intently at herself in the mirror she wonders why all this unhappiness with her appearance. Is this a bad day or what? Abigail finishes up in the bathroom and quickens her step as she goes down the stairs. Attitude, she thinks, it is all in my attitude!

She snatches her Bible off the computer desk and settles down in the oversized recliner for some time alone with God. Picking up a devotional book on the stand next to her, the title "Love Gives Value," grabs her attention. Abigail is reminded that it is the change in her heart because of Christ’s love that gives her value, not what she looks like. Hmmm, a reminder lesson from God. Turning to the love chapter in the Bible seems fitting, since this is February. As she reads I Corinthians 13, God shows her that it is what is in a person's heart and soul that makes them beautiful. Ugly or beautiful on the outside is not what it is about! When people are hurting they don’t look for physically beautiful people to talk to. They look for people who love---from the heart, people who have heart and soul! Abigail relents, "Okay God, I get the message. Thank you for loving me and changing me on the inside," but she couldn’t help add, I still don’t like gray hair. Then she chuckles to herself, knowing God understands that about her, but isn’t going to change it.

After Abigail spends some time in prayer she feels more fit to take the day on and in place of the grumble, groan and moan, her heart is light and her aches and pains not as burdensome.

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