I have had the opportunity to travel overseas on several mission trips.  During one of those, our group was able to tour a prestigious hospital that served the local VIPs and also catered to medical tourists, westerners who came to have procedures not covered by their insurance done more cheaply than possible at home.  While I would advise against this in most circumstances, I realized that it was on my travels that I have had open heart surgery.

Though each trip has been different, one thing they all have in common was that God revealed more of Himself and also had significant lessons for me to learn about myself.  One way I describe it was that God ripped open my chest (sound painful?  It is!) and poured Himself in (worth it!).

While I much prefer to be in a well-equipped and sanitary American hospital for any necessary medical care, I treasure every moment of my overseas open heart surgery.

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  Romans 5:5

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  Ezekiel 36:26