On 24 October we celebrated the 12th anniversary of my heart surgery. Commonly called “my heart day”. 12 years ago our lives changed forever. 12 years ago we surrendered some of our dreams and desires, including having a large family. 12 years ago, by Gods mercy and grace, I was given a second chance at life and the privilege of watching my daughter bloom and flourish, and deepening my relationship with my husband. 12 years.
Thinking of the number 12, I found some interesting facts:
- Jesus had 12 disciples
- There are 12 years of formal schooling
- An average human has 12 ribs
- 12 is the average number of jury members in court
- There are 12 items in a dozen
- There are 12 months in a year
- There are 12 hours on a clock
These last 2 facts speak of time and seasons and it has been said that LOVE is Spelt TIME. For me TIME is Taking the Initiative to Motivate and Encourage.
We have done various things over the years to mark this day and remember this moment, because as we remind ourselves of the past, we have courage to face the future, and this year all I wanted was time with people. I have Mondays off weekly, so my husband took the day off work, and we headed out early to have breakfast together at a favourite spot of ours. We arrived at 7:45am and only left at 12:45pm. It was a very special time together and we made the most of the moment to motivate and encourage each other, reminding ourselves of what we’ve been through, and spurring each other on to a future filled with hope. We enjoyed such delicious food and drinks and the open space we were blessed to sit in, amongst the amazing creation of our gracious God.
I Corinthians 13 – the well-known, well-read, recitable passage of Gods word says, “Love is patient and kind” It takes patience and kindness to love and patience references time. By us taking the time to be together on this particular morning, we chose to be kind to each other and therefore our love tanks were filled!
The word of God, in Psalm 90, also speaks about numbering our days. We are gifted with a very special time here on earth and none of us know how long that time will be. Mine very nearly ended 12 years ago and by God’s grace and mercy here I am. As I am reflecting on this, my deep desire is to make every day count. And not even every day, but every moment. I want to number my days right so I can live a full, purposefull and fruitfull life.
12 years, that’s about 4380 days!!! I’m grateful for every single one and determined to make the next 1 count! I’m determined to be patient and kind and show love by being present and making the most of moments to encourage and motivate!
hope of heart 