Tomorrow morning,” the surgeon began, “I’ll open up your heart…”
“You’ll find Jesus there,” the boy interrupted.
The surgeon looked up, annoyed. “I’ll cut your heart open,” he continued, “to see how much damage has been done…” ”
But when you open up my heart, you’ll find Jesus in there.”
A Very Busy Man
The surgeon looked to the parents, who sat quietly. “When I see how much damage has been done, I’ll sew your heart and chest back up and I’ll plan what to do next.”
“But you’ll find Jesus in my heart. The Bible says He lives there. The hymns all say He lives there. You’ll find Him in my heart.”
The surgeon had had enough, for he was a very busy man. “I’ll tell you what I’ll find in your heart, young man. I’ll find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and weakened vessels. And I’ll find out if I can make you well.”
But the boy persisted and said: “You’ll find Jesus there too. He lives there.”
The surgeon left.
Why Must We Suffer So?
After the procedure was complete, the surgeon sat in his office reviewing his notes from the surgery. “Damaged aorta, damaged pulmonary vein, widespread muscle degeneration, no hope for transplant, no hope for cure. Therapy: painkillers and bedrest. Prognosis … death within a year.”
He stopped the recorder, but there was more to be said. “Why Lord?” he asked aloud. “Why did You do this? You’ve put him here. You’ve put him in this pain. And You’ve cursed him to an early death. Why?”
The Lord answered saying, “The boy, My lamb, was not meant for your flock for long, for he is a part of My flock and will forever be. Here, in My flock, he will feel no pain, and will be comforted as you cannot imagine. He will be with me every day as my beloved son.
The surgeon’s tears were hot, but his anger was hotter. “You created that boy and You created that heart. He’ll be dead in months. Why?”
The Lord answered, “The boy, My lamb, shall return to My flock, for he has done his duty. I did not put My lamb with your flock to lose him, but to retrieve another lost lamb. The boy has done his job and now it is time for him to be reunited with me in his eternal home. There will be great joy when he comes home to Me because he is much beloved. I have prepared a place for him here.”
The surgeon seemed to shout: “But what about his family, why must they sufffer such a loss?”
God’s Plan
The Lord answered: “They are part of my plan too. This loss will bring them closer with the realization that I am well pleased with their son who will soon be with Me. One day they will join their son here with Me and they too will know peace. Until then, a part of his parents will be here with Me along with their son, who is My son too.”
The Lord continued, “The boy’s parents will learn from this experience and I will touch their hearts to thank them for the gift of their son to Me. This loss will grieve them but if they will open their hearts to Me, I will fill them with the joy of knowing that a part of them is with Me. I know of their grief and I grieve with them for their loss for I love them and cherish them for giving Me their son. I will bring them peace if they will let Me come to them. I honor them by choosing their son and by giving them time together now knowing of their son’s impending death. It is not really death but a transformation to eternal life with Me.
“Ask the parents to freely give their son to Me and to ask their son to bring with him a part of their hearts for Me to fill with My love to replace the emptiness caused by the loss. Their joy will be in knowing that their son will be with Me for eternity and that we will await together the family reunion to come. The time has not yet arrived for the boy’s parents, for their work is not yet complete. If they turn to Me in this loss, I will bring them the peace they need to go on and to grow in life and love.”
The surgeon wept.
The next day he sat beside the boy’s bed across from the boy’s parents. The boy awoke and whispered, “Did you cut open my heart?”
“Yes,” said the surgeon.
“What did you find?” asked the boy.
“I found Jesus there,” the surgeon said.