Stories - The Christian Heart

How Everyday People Live Out Their Christian Faith

Illustrating how men and women display their love for Jesus in their day-to-day lives.
Little things that may have an eternal impact. Might these stories motivate you to use your talents?

Loss Of Loved One Overcoming Obstacles Recovery
HELD THROUGH THE HEARTBREAK

I grew up as a church girl. I knew God, but if I’m honest, we didn’t really have a relationship. I went to church with my kids, but my husband never came with us, and that created tension in our marriage. A year before everything unraveled, I felt God nudging me to get more involved at church, even though I didn’t really understand why. Looking back, I can see He was preparing me for what I didn’t yet know was coming. When my husband confessed to multiple indiscretions, something happened that surprised even me: spiritually, I felt peace. Not because the situation wasn’t painful—it was the hardest thing I’ve ever lived through—but because God whispered to my heart that He had been with me the entire time. Emotionally, I was crushed. I spent many days lying in bed, praying nonstop because I didn’t have the strength for anything else. But even in that darkness, Psalm 46:1--“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”--became my lifeline. As I walked through the divorce, God began teaching me things about myself I never knew. I learned I’m much stronger than I believed. I learned He had been holding me long before I could feel His grip. And He softened me in ways I didn’t expect, making me more empathetic, more aware of others who are hurting, more willing to sit with someone in their pain. My healing came slowly, through reading Scripture, copying verses by hand, and Christian counseling. I learned I was carrying PTSD and trauma anxiety. My kids also received counseling,… Read More

March 4, 2026
Hospital Labor
THE MIDNIGHT NURSE

People always assume the hardest part of nursing is the medical side: the emergencies, the alarms, and the long shifts. But for me, the hardest moments are the quiet ones. The hours when the hallways are dim, families have gone home, and patients are left alone with their fear. Those are the hours when I feel Jesus asking me to show up the most. Years ago, I worked the overnight shift when a teenage boy was admitted after a severe depressive episode. He looked so fragile, curled up on his side, eyes red from crying. He wouldn’t talk to anyone. When I checked his vitals, he whispered, “Does it get better?” No textbook prepares you for that kind of question. I pulled up a chair next to his bed and told him the truth. “Yes. Not all at once. But yes. God stays with you even when you can’t feel Him.” I surprised myself with how honest I was. I told him how I had gone through my own valley years earlier: panic attacks, hopelessness, and nights where I begged God to just make the pain stop. I told him how God didn’t fix everything immediately, but He never left. And eventually, the light came back. We talked quietly for almost an hour. I didn’t preach. I didn’t try to say the perfect thing. I just sat with him, the way Jesus has sat with me so many times. When I left the room, I prayed, “Lord, hold him through the night.” I didn’t see him again after he was transferred, but last year, I got a letter at the hospital. It was from him. He told me… Read More

February 25, 2026
Hospital Recovery Verbalizing the Gospel
SURVIVING A PROPANE EXPLOSION

There is a popular song in contemporary Christian music called “Another in the Fire” by Hillsong UNITED. On August 20, 2025, there was another in the fire with me. His name is Jesus. I was in a propane explosion on this fateful day. Three coworkers and I were in a mobile coffee truck that our church owns and operates. We were preparing to serve well over a thousand individuals who were moving their students back in at Wake Forest University. As we finished our preparations, we began to hear an ear-piercing noise. All of a sudden, a flash went across the truck, and we were all on fire. A propane leak had ignited, and flames were everywhere. As we screamed, scrambled out, and tried our hardest to remove the fire from our clothing, my mind went to Jesus. I called out to Him, and in the midst of the most excruciating pain of my life, He saved me. As I had skin literally dripping off my body, He came to me. I can’t say He took all my fears away, as it says in Psalm 34:4, but He was there all along to ensure my survival. I spent 40 long days recovering in the hospital, just like the 40-day journeys that Noah, Moses, and Jesus also took. I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to utilize that time to witness, pray, and make the day better for all the doctors, nurses, and other people who walked into my room. I had many conversations with them about what was going on in their lives… Read More

February 18, 2026
Labor Recovery Unique Ministries
ANSWERING THE PHONE AT 2AM

Recovery taught me that nights are the hardest. That’s when the noise gets loud and the loneliness creeps in. That’s when people decide whether they’re going to make it through until morning. So, I answer my phone. I tell people they can call me anytime, especially in the middle of the night. I don’t sleep much anyway. And I remember too clearly what it felt like to be alone with cravings that felt bigger than God. There were nights I prayed and still wanted to numb everything. Nights when I didn’t trust myself. Nights when one voice could have changed everything. Now, I try to be that voice. Sometimes all I say is, “I’m here. Breathe.” Sometimes we talk for an hour. Sometimes they cry. And sometimes I do too. People ask why I do this. I tell them the truth: Jesus met me in the middle of my worst nights, not after I cleaned myself up. He didn’t wait for daylight. He didn’t demand strength. So, I don’t either. I’ve answered calls from parked cars, hospital rooms, and bathroom floors. I don’t fix people. I don’t promise things will be easy. I just remind them they’re not alone and that this moment doesn’t get to decide the rest of their life. Obedience isn’t always convenient. Love rarely is. But every time someone makes it through the night, I thank God for the privilege of being present. I know what’s at stake. I know how thin the line can be. And if my phone ringing at 2 a.m. keeps someone alive, I’ll answer it every time.… Read More

February 11, 2026
Labor Overcoming Obstacles
BROKEN AND ABUSED TO REDEEMED PASTOR

Desiree was born into a broken family, and endured mental and physical abuse throughout her childhood. At the young age of six, her parents divorced, and she was shuffled from one family member to the next. Her Mom was sent to prison, and she moved from California to Washington with her Dad. Her Dad wasn’t ready to raise her and she could not wait to get out of the house. She moved out at the age of 17 and fully intended to join the military, but her plans changed when she met Jeremy, her future husband. Jeremy was from a devout, Christian family and that was so foreign to Desiree. She had no idea what it was like to attend church and live your life for God. It wasn’t until they had their daughter Brooke and watched her go through a life-threatening case of pericarditis that she began to cry out to God. Brooke recovered fully, and they were so grateful. They went through another scary experience when she was pregnant with her son, Tristan. The doctors told her to abort because he had spina bifida and there was no hope. They chose to pray and trust God that He would heal, and He absolutely did! Tristan was born completely healthy without a sign of spina bifada! Praise God! After those answers to prayer, she got baptized and fully surrendered her life to Christ. She began to actively serve in her local church and heard God call her to preach. She said no many times because she felt so unworthy and saw herself as broken. She… Read More

February 4, 2026
Labor Loving Your Neighbor Unique Ministries
THE BUS DRIVER WHO WAITED

I start my route before the sun comes up. Same streets, same stops, and same faces. People think driving a bus is just about staying on schedule, but after years behind the wheel, I’ve learned it’s really about noticing people. There was one stop in particular: a single mother and her young son. Every morning, they ran. Every morning, she looked embarrassed and out of breath, trying to juggle a backpack, a lunchbox, and a tired little boy. I noticed the other drivers would pull away if she wasn’t there on time. So, I started waiting. Not long. Just enough. She eventually asked me why. I told her the truth. My mom raised me alone, and if a bus driver hadn’t waited for us when I was a kid, I don’t know how she would’ve kept her job. Someone once showed us grace when we needed it most. I believe Jesus shows up in patience; the kind that doesn’t announce itself. Some mornings, we sit there an extra minute. Some mornings, other passengers sigh. I don’t mind. I’d rather be late than leave someone behind who’s already carrying too much. One day she handed me a note. It said, “You don’t know how much this matters.” But I think I do. I don’t preach on my bus. I don’t talk about faith unless someone asks. I just try to drive the way Jesus would: with compassion, with awareness, and with room for people who are doing their best. Sometimes love looks like waiting when you don’t have to.… Read More

January 28, 2026

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Adoption/Foster Care 39

Church Activities 61

Financial Help 18

Loss Of Loved One 49

Loving Your Neighbor 72

Mission Work 52

Overcoming Obstacles 140

Prison Ministry 13

Senior Citizens 23

Special Needs 50

Unique Ministries 180

Verbalizing the Gospel 82

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