Thoughtful Thursday 

A Change of Heart

This is a story of pain and suffering, of triumph and redemption, but most of all, of God’s redeeming mercy and grace.

Approximately one year prior to this writing, my brother, John,  experienced a massive heart attack. He was an over-the-road truck driver, and was hauling a load of merchandise out of state, to somewhere in West Virginia, which was several hours away from his home. He had been experiencing some discomfort for a little while. When one of the workmen came to tell him where to back his truck for unloading, he said, “I’ll go ahead and back it in there, but I’m going to need you to call me an ambulance. I’m having a heart attack.” While he was backing up his truck so it could be unloaded, the foreman called 911, and the ambulance was on its way. Sometime during the ambulance ride, and the time in the nearest emergency room, he actually coded three times, but the paramedics, and medical personnel were able to revive him. His wife traveled to West Virginia to be by his side.

The prognosis was not good. He was placed on life support for several days. His heart was only functioning at around thirty percent. Many prayers were lifted up on his behalf. Each day brought depressing news. After a lengthy hospital stay, he was sent to a rehabilitation facility in West Virginia. Then, finally, he was able to go home to Kentucky. A nerve had been damaged in his right leg, so he was confined to a wheelchair. He was on many medications. He had strict instructions to follow, and was taking physical therapy. 

He was still struggling, but as the old saying goes, he was in good shape for the shape he was in. Life, as he knew it, was completely different. He wasn’t able to go back to work. His wife had to help him with his basic every day activities, such as bathing and dressing himself. He had to have modifications and accommodations with his feeding habits. Slowly but surely, he showed signs of improvement. The prayers for his healing never stopped. After about three months, the family was even able to have a get together for him to celebrate his progress.

Christmas came and went. Then January brought cold weather, as did February. He began to have trouble breathing. Once again, he had to go to the emergency room. Fluid had built up around his heart and lungs. That had to be drained . He was sent home for a couple of days, then he was hospitalized once again. Now his heart was only working at about a twenty percent capacity. The doctors began to discuss the possibility of a heart transplant. They couldn’t decide if they would go that route in his treatment, or place an L-VAD inside his body to help the heart pump blood. 

The decision making process was taking a long time. He was in pretty good spirits, considering. He often FaceTimed us, and we would have some nice talks, about how he wanted us to take him fishing when he got better. We went to visit him in the hospital. He was sitting up in a chair with many tubes and IV’s helping him stay alive. He was able to carry on a pretty good conversation.

Then, he took another turn for the worse. He was told that a transplant was necessary. The L-VAD was no longer a viable option. So, the waiting began. They waited…and waited… and waited. He was told that, if a heart didn’t become available soon, he would have to have an L-VAD, but its effectiveness wouldn’t last as long as the transplant.

FINALLY, they were told that a heart had become available, and surgery would be at 11:00 pm that very night! All the family was called. We were all so excited, and praying for him! Churches were praying for him. Facebook friends were praying for him. Then…at the last moment, they were told that this heart wasn’t a good match, and his body would reject it. The wind had been taken out of our sails. What a disappointment! So we waited again. The fact that someone had to lose their life, so that John could have his, was not lost on any of us. But, yet, we waited.

Well, Folks, yesterday morning, on April 14, 2026. My brother received a new heart! When we got the news, I just cried tears of joy! I was crying because I was so happy for John. But, I was also crying, because I was so thankful for God’s endless love and mercy, and that He hears our prayers.

As I was calling friends and family to tell them the good news, I kept saying, “John got a new heart! John got a new heart!” As I said those words, I was reminded of what God told Ezekiel, when He was speaking about the children of Israel.

Ezekiel 36:26-28 says:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh.

And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.”

Friends, do you need a new heart today? Do you need to have the old heart of stone, (stubbornness), removed, and a new heart of goodness and gladness put in its place? God can do that for you! We’ve already had a donor. Jesus Christ died on a cross in your place, and my place, so that we can live eternally in the place that God prepared, a place that we call Heaven. 

Think about this today. If you are sick and tired of struggling, then perhaps, it’s time you had a change of heart.

Have a great Thursday!