Stories - Page 17 of 83 - 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?

Children Labor Special Needs
GIVING MORE THAN A HAIRCUT

What an incredible blessing it is for me to open up my barber shop once a month and spend my day off giving children with special needs a free haircut. This has become the day I always look forward to! And I can certainly see God's hand in how this all started. I’ve been cutting hair for 20 years and am now fortunate enough to have my own shop. I've always tried to provide a supportive environment for my clients, where they feel comfortable sharing stories of struggle and triumph, stories about good days and bad. We’ve been blessed to have a pretty steady business where we are booked all day long. It’s important to keep on schedule so we don’t keep people waiting. I had a few instances where people made appointments for their kids but didn’t specify they were children with special needs. Many kids with special needs deal with sensory overload, so a trip to get a haircut often leads to very stressful situations for the child, the parent and the barber. Those haircuts require a lot more time, so not planning additional time for these cuts would throw off my schedule for the rest of the day. But my heart went out to these kids and their parents because of their unusual circumstances. As a barber, I saw the need for a place where children with disabilities are supported during a haircut, and an environment is created where parents or caregivers don't have to explain their child's behavior or apologize for something they may do or say. So it was… Read More

May 24, 2023
Hospital Overcoming Obstacles Recovery
FROM CANCER’S GRIP TO GOD’S GRACE

Arriving home on my 21st birthday to a house filled with my beloved family, the air buzzed with anticipation of a joyous celebration. Little did I know that this day would forever be etched in my memory as a pivotal one. With a heavy heart and trembling voice, my dad mustered the courage to utter the words that had consumed our thoughts for the past hour, "She has cancer." The atmosphere instantly shifted from jubilation to a profound silence, punctuated only by the collective tears and anguished expressions of my loved ones. What was to be a celebration turned into a prayer meeting, a pleading with God for healing. Through intensive treatment, I emerged victorious, igniting an unyielding desire to serve others. Following my recovery, I found comfort and fulfillment as a children's minister within my local church. Driven by a passion for healthcare, I pursued a career as a registered nurse and embarked on the journey to become a nurse practitioner. However, as I prepared to take this next step, the shocking news of another lymphoma diagnosis rattled my world. It seemed like an insurmountable setback. As the days turned into weeks and weeks into months, the bleak battle took its toll on my body, mind, and spirit. In the despair of my own suffering, I found myself drawing closer to Jesus, my Savior and Comforter. His presence became more than a mere belief; it became a tangible reality that carried me through the darkest nights. The intimacy we shared during those moments of anguish was unlike anything I had experienced before; a… Read More

May 17, 2023
Overcoming Obstacles
A COMPLETE SURRENDER

Rock bottom was the place I called home at the age of 25. I was well loved and well taught as a child. But by 19, I was birthing the beautiful, blonde-headed boy I would come to find as my temporary saving grace. Yet, I couldn’t seem to see past my own insecurities. Instead of celebrating when 21 came around, I was fighting off an abusive husband who’d turn to aggression, force, and violence to control me. I mistook this as love. As I turned 23, I had brought another life into the world with curls that even Shirley Temple would revere. As precious lives hung in the balance to be stewarded as gifts, the lies in my ears whispered, “undeserving.” There I was, in the prime of my twenties, with life pressing in around me as if its walls had a heartbeat and a desire to suffocate me. I chose hopelessness. At 24, I was divorced, estranged from family, and barely getting enough time for goodnight kisses with my kids. I was seeking couches to sleep on, drugs to get high with, and jobs to quit time and time again; I lost the battle on the downswing. I suffocated between the war in my head and the expectations of my circumstances. So, I called my dad. “I need to come home.” Suddenly rock bottom didn’t feel so much like punctures to my rib cage, but more like a chance for fresh air. At 26, I got clean, I got my kids back, and one hot summer day, I sat down in the dirt under a… Read More

May 10, 2023
Labor Senior Citizens Unique Ministries
BEAUTIFUL HAND-PAINTED BOOKMARKS

I believe God can use anyone to fulfill His plans no matter how old you are. I’m 100 years old, and I paint freehand bookmarks with artwork on the front and “God Loves You” on the back. They’re distributed randomly to people we meet to remind them of God’s love. It's a simple way of getting out the most important message anyone can see. I truly think that if you're breathing, God can use you. Everyone has some type of gift that can be used for The Lord. Our gifts are all different. There is no point to just sitting on them because you're old. About four years ago, I was doing a devotional study every morning for one whole year on God’s love. I was studying the different aspects of biblical love and it struck me that God loves us so deeply that we may not be able to comprehend it because He Is Love. After retiring at the age of 60, I learned to paint at the local Senior Center. Years later when I was no longer able to stand to paint large canvases, I kept getting a nudge from God telling me to paint bookmarks to share His message of His love with others. I was hesitant about doing that because nowadays so few people take time to read actual books. But I kept reflecting on Zechariah 4:10, "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” So I adhered to His nudging, and now I’m thrilled that God has given me this whole new adventure. In the grand scheme of… Read More

May 3, 2023
Other
A NEW WAY OF LIVING

As an Old Order Mennonite, I grew up with a strong and firm commitment to the traditions of my culture. From a young age, dressing modestly, abstaining from particular technologies, and yes, even using a horse and buggy to get around! Adhering to other moral codes of our religion were a way of life. However, as I got older, my faith and perspective toward the world around me drastically changed. I began to question my devotion to the religious customs and beliefs I had known my whole life. It wasn’t that I had lost my faith, but instead it was more of a searching and seeking in order to find Jesus and to truly understand the purpose of my faith. After my second child, I became a born-again Christian. I found comfort in a new way of living that was balanced between modern and traditional beliefs. I make sure that my life follows Jesus’ teachings regarding charity, morality, and compassionate service. My focus is to spread the Gospel! My new lifestyle can be seen as the perfect blend of both the Old Order Mennonite and the modern world. I am able to live a life that is pleasing to God while also embracing the technological advances of today. No longer do I need to feel restricted and tied down by the doctrine and customs of my people, but instead I am able to live with balance and in true understanding of what it means to be a devoted Christian. I drive a car, wear pants and use a cellphone. It truly feels like… Read More

April 26, 2023
Labor Overcoming Obstacles
EPILEPSY CHANGED HER LIFE

My life changed dramatically five years ago. I woke up in the middle of the night to a room filled with emergency medical personnel. My husband lovingly told me that I had a seizure and we were going to the hospital. After being admitted, doctors determined I had experienced a grand mal seizure, or what is medically known as a tonic-clonic seizure. Over the next few months, I had some recurring impaired awareness seizures, and I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I was the mom of a six-month old baby and worked full time in a career that I loved. Now because of the seizures, I couldn’t drive. I needed to step away from my job so the medical personnel could determine the best course of action for me. I felt alone and wondered how I would navigate all this. The fear of having another seizure was always on my mind. It turns out this is a very common concern for those with epilepsy. Sometimes you’re reluctant to do certain things because of that fear. For example, kids who have epilepsy may not want to go to their church’s youth group because of all the flashing lights that are sometimes used. But that was not all that was happening. A few months later, my husband experienced some headaches and underwent a sinus surgery right before an anniversary trip we had planned. We went on the trip but he started to feel bad and had some numbness in his arms and then his face. We flew back immediately. After two ER visits, he was placed in the… Read More

April 19, 2023

Browse all categories

Adoption/Foster Care 38

Church Activities 60

Financial Help 18

Loss Of Loved One 40

Loving Your Neighbor 67

Mission Work 52

Overcoming Obstacles 119

Prison Ministry 12

Senior Citizens 22

Special Needs 47

Unique Ministries 169

Verbalizing the Gospel 77

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