A Frozen Heart

Written by Kelly Elders

I recently read an article of a Pennsylvania man who was found dead in the snow. He told his dad he was on his way home in sub zero temperature and when he never arrived his father went out searching for him. The father found his son in the snow, frozen with no pulse or heartbeat. He was taken to a nearby hospital. Doctors could not declare him dead until his body was warm. He was given CPR and chest compressions for over two hours then flown to another hospital where they were able slowly warm the body. Miraculously, as his body warmed his heart began to beat again. He made a full recovery only losing a couple fingers and toes due to hypothermia.

Sometimes in our own walk we can struggle to survive the severe storms causing us to fall and freeze. When others look at us they see death but God will surround you with people who refuse to call you dead!

Keep Moving

Have you ever felt frozen or stuck? With no heartbeat or passion to move forward? So many times situations in our life can cause us to get stuck and soon have no passion for the vision ahead. Growing up in the midwest we knew that you could not dress too warm when you went skiing in the snow because you would warm up fast. Movement kept me warm in the snow. It’s when we stop moving, stop reading, stop attending church, stop surrounding ourselves with the right people that can cause us to get stuck. Eventually, our pulse on the things of God slows down and soon our heart stops beating with purpose.

Feed your heart with books, podcasts, inspiring sermons and music but remember nothing can warm your spirit like the Holy Spirit. Spending time alone with God and saying aloud your thoughts, fears, prayers and thankful words can heal your heart like nothing else. Another way to stay warm in the cold elements people embrace each other to generate heat. The same is true when your heart needs warmed is to surround yourself with people who are hot, not in looks but in spirit. Find one person or group that their hearts are pumping and they are excited about their own future and the future of the Church. Once you do this your heart will beat again.

Pump The Heart

Sometimes we find people in the same predicament. Frozen in their ways, no heartbeat for the things of God, and no pulse to the heart of God and we give up and declare them dead too soon. When truly they need someone to shock their heart, pump the heart and warm their hearts again. I know in ministry we can tend to become frustrated or even bypass those stuck but we are called to warm their hearts with love and words of possibility. Sometimes it includes effort on your part. God is looking for people who are strong enough to manually pump the hearts of those frozen due to the elements of this life. The heart was pumped for 2 hours not a lifetime. There was a time the young man had to be taken to a more advanced facility to continue the process. We are all just part of the process. Be willing to get unstuck from that frozen place so you can one day be the one pumping someone else’s heart and love them to life.

Read more from Kelly Elders at her blog.