“A new heart I [the Lord God] will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, . . .” Ezekiel 36: 26-27a
In this Old Testament book, we have the priest and prophet, Ezekiel, outlining what the Lord God directed him to tell the Israelite Nation. Their hearts, that were like stone, would be turned into hearts of flesh. In Ezekiel 37 we also have the story of the “Valley of Dry Bones” and how God puts a new life into something that was dry and dead. This is an excellent story for those who want to engage in spiritual practices, for it gives us all hope about what can come from it, a new heart and new spirit.
However, for some of us during these prolonged pandemics, it may be an extremely difficult task to be open to receiving a new heart and spirit. One such time for me was when my late wife, Judy, died in late January 1999. After her funeral and all of the related activity calmed down, I can remember how depressed, lonely, and sad I was. Up until her death, I had been busy caring for her at home, and then life suddenly slowed down. During that time of the year the days were short and having to be alone during those winter evenings was especially challenging for me. There were many stressful and painful moments for me then; as I grieved her death, rested after taking care of her while she was under Hospice care, and reflected on my life without her.
I realize that many of you can relate to this given the very trying times that the entire world has been through over the recent months. However, it did take what for me seemed to be forever to begin feeling better. But spring did finally come, and by late summer my energy level did begin to improve. My heart and spirit were renewed over time. I pray that will be the case for all of us as things slowly begin to improve all around us
As you begin to part in or enhance your spiritual practices, think about reflecting on these chapters from Ezekiel as an example of how we can also be reborn. Being on our spiritual pilgrimage isn’t always a bed of roses, but we can be daily given a new heart and spirit when we are open to God’s love, grace, and mercy. Blessings on your earthly and spiritual travels! Peace, Vernon T.
Copyright © 2021 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved
In this Old Testament book, we have the priest and prophet, Ezekiel, outlining what the Lord God directed him to tell the Israelite Nation. Their hearts, that were like stone, would be turned into hearts of flesh. In Ezekiel 37 we also have the story of the “Valley of Dry Bones” and how God puts a new life into something that was dry and dead. This is an excellent story for those who want to engage in spiritual practices, for it gives us all hope about what can come from it, a new heart and new spirit.
However, for some of us during these prolonged pandemics, it may be an extremely difficult task to be open to receiving a new heart and spirit. One such time for me was when my late wife, Judy, died in late January 1999. After her funeral and all of the related activity calmed down, I can remember how depressed, lonely, and sad I was. Up until her death, I had been busy caring for her at home, and then life suddenly slowed down. During that time of the year the days were short and having to be alone during those winter evenings was especially challenging for me. There were many stressful and painful moments for me then; as I grieved her death, rested after taking care of her while she was under Hospice care, and reflected on my life without her.
I realize that many of you can relate to this given the very trying times that the entire world has been through over the recent months. However, it did take what for me seemed to be forever to begin feeling better. But spring did finally come, and by late summer my energy level did begin to improve. My heart and spirit were renewed over time. I pray that will be the case for all of us as things slowly begin to improve all around us
As you begin to part in or enhance your spiritual practices, think about reflecting on these chapters from Ezekiel as an example of how we can also be reborn. Being on our spiritual pilgrimage isn’t always a bed of roses, but we can be daily given a new heart and spirit when we are open to God’s love, grace, and mercy. Blessings on your earthly and spiritual travels! Peace, Vernon T.
Copyright © 2021 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved
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