“Ya Gotta Have Heart…”

By Captain Terry Camsey – 

“…lots and lots and lots of heart.” So the old song goes and it has been ringing through my head lately.

An interesting thing, the heart…ask any of us who are honorary members of the “zipper” club, having undergone open heart surgery. Speaking personally, I am extremely grateful to both God and the medical professionals who replumbed me. It’s 13 years or so since I gained “fresh heart” and I’ve had a good run for my money in the interim period. Doubtless there will come a time for a “rebore” but, somehow, the thought of that is nowhere near as terrifying as the initial surgery.

The biggest trauma for me at that time was being hooked up to the lung machine. There was something about not being personally in control of life, at that point, that made me very uneasy. Fortunately it was for a relatively short period.

But, as I said, an interesting thing, the heart…

For a start, when it quits, the body dies! Without circulating the blood, life could not be supported. Where, due to pathological deterioration, blood doesn’t reach certain parts of the body necrosis (death of part of a living body) can easily set in.

The heart can and does work at various speeds to give necessary energy for the task at hand. In fact, one might say that we march to the beat of our own drum!

While it is tremendously resilient, it is subject to a whole range of unhealthy conditions…erratic beat, blocked arteries, atrophy of its muscles, strain…even rupture, something that Christ himself suffered from (“He died of a broken heart”), as we were recently reminded at Easter.

One could go on and on, as many poets have done.

But, read through the above again with your corps in mind. Do you see any reflections there…how’s the energy level of the congregational body? Is the heart in good condition…pulse regular? arteries clear? muscles well exercised? in danger through attempting to work beyond its capacity (some trying to cover the work others should do)?

Then, there are a whole range of emotions connected with the heart…is the corps “bursting with love” for the lost? “Aching and bleeding” for those who suffer? “Heart going out in compassion” to those in need? “In good heart” with faith that God has done? Is doing and will do good things? “Heart leaping” for joy at the sight of souls being won and discipled? “Disheartened” and apathetic? “Stone-hearted,” feeling no sense of responsibility for sharing the gospel?

Is it time for open heart surgery? Someone once said that God, the ultimate creator, is the only one who can make something from nothing. And that, sometimes, to make anything of something, He first has to reduce it to nothing. A broken, repentant heart may be an indicator that He is about to do something significant. It may be the only way He can do something significant.

“I must love thee, love must rule me, Springing up and flowering forth; From a childlike heart within me, Or my work is nothing worth.”

General Albert Orsborn put it well. Or, as the other lyricist penned…“Ya gotta have heart…lots and lots and lots of heart!”