My dad had pacemaker surgery yesterday. As I sat in his hospital room with him and my mom before the surgery, I was closely watching the monitors. His heart rate was erratic – with peaks and valleys – and the monitor was constantly alarming that he was in bradycardia (low heart rate). It was abundantly clear that intervention was needed. When the procedure was over and he returned to his room, I continued to watch the monitors. Although the rhythm was irregular at times, his heart rate was much more consistent than it had been before.

This situation caused me to think about my heart – no, not just physically, but in a spiritual sense, too. Even as a pastor – and perhaps ESPECIALLY as a pastor – my relationship with God can be irregular and erratic. Without close monitoring and alarms sounding when intervention is necessary, my relationship with the Divine could suffer. What kind of “pacemaker” do I need to keep my relationship with the Holy One consistent? Prayer, scripture, meditation, journaling, covenant relationships and the like are all easy, “pat” answers to such a question, but are much harder to implement on a consistent basis. Consistency – yes, that seems to be the key. That is what I am pondering today. What am I doing to keep my heart consistent with God?

Thanks to all who have prayed and continue to pray for my dad. It is greatly appreciated. Until next time … peace.