A Tender Heart is Contagious....

During the current scare of the H1N1 or Swine Flu everyone has a heighten sense of what is contagious and what is not. I know I have heard numerous times over the last couple of months what the warning signs and symptoms are of this sickness. Being contagious is in most cases not a good thing, but I have one thought and situation where I think it is....

Over the past month we have had 3 (really 4, because one teen responded twice) public responses from teens in our Youth Group. In all cases they have had the same symptoms: a sense of burn-out, questioning their faith and actions, trying to understand why they keep falling into the same traps, and finally a TENDER HEART looking for forgiveness. All of the symptoms I have listed are important, but the last is the one I want to focus on, a Tender Heart!! A tender heart can be contagious. A tender heart can open up doors that one never thought could be broken down. A tender heart can allow others to see that they are loved. And finally, a tender heart can set a group on fire. I have been touched by the hearts of these students in our group. I have had the blessing of sitting down and talking to each of them about what was going on. In all cases it has brought me closer to them and closer to God. I have thought many times I am the one who should be helping them, when in turn they are the ones helping me!! You see when you have a tender heart and you realize you cannot do it on your own, it breaks down the barriers of pride and self-confidence. You begin to realize you need more than your self reliance to make it through life's difficulties, you begin to see how much God can help you and how much fellow sincere Christians can help too!! A tender heart is contagious!

In one of the cases I referred to earlier, I had the blessing of re-baptizing someone. This was a first for me! To be honest I really did not know how to handle this situation. I did what I thought I should do: first I prayed, second I consulted a friend and mentor, third I went to the scriptures, forth I prayed some more, fifth I talked with the individual and their family, sixth I prayed some more, seventh I re-baptized her!! I am confident that this was not something that would have been required in God's eyes, but in theirs it was necessary. They wanted to rededicate themselves to the ONE and ONLY TRUE LIVING GOD. They told me that they felt as if they had never "repented or turned away" from their sinful ways, and needed to make sure they did that this time!! I was so proud of their decision and it made me look at my dedication to God and to check myself! A tender heart can be contagious, it can make others think, it can set the world on fire, and it can cause a sort of spiritual revival! I pray that will not stop here at Maple Hill and I pray that we can take the fire that some have started and share it beyond our walls!!

2 Peter 1:10 says, "Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things you will never fall,". It is my prayer that our hearts will always be tender and that we will always "make our calling and election sure.."

Filled with His Spirit- Nick