A Pure Heart

I love order. When I read the creation story in Genesis—how God created the world with intention and order and then declared, “It is good”—my heart smiles. I picture everything in its place, everything working together as it should. I try to project this same order into my own life, embracing simplicity, a reasonable schedule, discipline, and love. Oh, how I try (and oh how my husband sits back and laughs).
 
But life gets in the way. Adult children move back home after graduating from college. Aging parents need help navigating the challenges that come with growing older. My own health issues demand attention. And sometimes life throws unexpected surprises—like a flooded basement after the water heater leaked fifty gallons of water and sat that way all weekend while we were away celebrating our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. All of it challenges my attempts to maintain discipline, order, and love in my own life. At best, I sit back and laugh. At worst, I contemplate quitting and running away to a small town in Alaska, leaving no forwarding address and disabling my cell phone.
 
During this season of Lent, I have been reading A.W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God and Henri Nouwen’s The Way of the Heart. Tozer writes that we should “direct [our] heart’s attention to Jesus.” Distractions may pull us away, but when our hearts are committed to Him, our attention returns again and again—like a wandering bird returning to its window. Nouwen reminds us that while temptations and struggles will remain throughout our lives, with a pure heart we can still find rest even in the midst of a restless existence.
 
Life may never fully cooperate with our plans for order and balance. But when our attention continually returns to the Lord, we discover a deeper kind of peace—one not dependent on circumstances but grounded in His presence.
 
Prayer: Lord, when life feels disordered and overwhelming, gently draw my attention back to You. Help me rest in Your presence and trust You with every unfinished task, every worry, and every unexpected turn. Lord, please help me embrace life’s fearful mess with Your love and peace. Amen.

Yours In Christ,
Lauren Fain
​Financial Director