The last few weeks I’ve been thinking how my heart is like a tiny pond.

My heart can feel so stagnant and murky when I’m caught in my head—running ragged through
fears, guilt, sins that have already been forgiven. The fears and discouragements can play in a
loop in my mind when there’s no outside input—without God’s word to bring light to the dark
places. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” -Psalm 119:105

Or the algae creeps in from the stagnation of my heart when I’m putting my mind through the
paces of reading God’s word but my heart is distracted and dull to it. But by his grace and mercy,
the Lord open inlets and even gushing waterfalls of his love into this stagnant little heart of
mine—through his living word, a study, a sermon, a hug, a ray of winter sunshine, a song, a well-
placed word, . . .—graciously reminding me of his great and unrelenting love for me. By his
grace alone, he opens the eyes of my heart to his living word, humbling my heart to see my
needs met by his scarred, welcoming hands.

Again and again, I need to be rescued from my tiny pond-ish heart by my Savior who loves to
rescue. And in his abundant provision, he not only gives us himself, but he also gives us the gift
of his people. He never meant us to walk alone, never meant us to stay in our little closed ponds
but instead to receive and bring reminders of his truth into one another’s pond-ish hearts. He is
always at work, graciously transforming us from one degree of glory to another and graciously
drawing us—his people, his children, his body—out of our little ponds and into his great plan to
one Day bring all his children home to glory.

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into
the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the
Spirit.” -2 Corinthians 3:18