Andy Stanley - Enemies of the Heart: Breaking Free from the Four Emotions That Control You

The heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately sick;
who can understand it?

Jeremiah 17:9 ( ESV )

I t came from within. But at first I wasnt sure.

It was a Tuesday night. I was lying in bed, trying to go to sleep, when I felt a thump in my chest that actually shook my whole body.

I sat up and looked over at Sandra to see if perhaps shed felt it too. No pain. No pressure. Just a larger-than-normal thump in my chest. I lay back down and tried to pretend it hadnt happened. And then it happened again.

This time I said, Did you feel that?

No answer.

As I lay there staring at the clock, I put my hand over my heart and tried to listen as well as feel my pulse. About a half minute later, I noticed that my heart skipped a beat and then, THUMP! This happened over and over. About a minute of normal heartbeat and then nothing. And then the big thump that literally coursed through my entire body.

Needless to say, I didnt sleep much that night.

The next day I called my doctor. He sent me to the hospital with a prescription for this nifty device that records whats happening to your heart while you go about your normal routine. I say normal. There are a few normal activities I would advise anyone against trying while wearing such a device.

The following day I went back to the hospital and they plugged the device into a computer to see what they could find. An hour later the technician came out and informed me that I had an irregular heartbeat. I was shocked. Really? An irregular heartbeat? You dont say. You mean my heart isnt supposed to miss a beat every minute and then make up for it with increased seismic intensity?

Of course, I didnt say that. He was about to draw some blood, and Ive always tried to stay on the good side of anyone whos about to poke me with a needle.

They ran some tests. A lot of tests. After a couple hours of blood work, an EKG, an ultrasoundI told them there was no way I was pregnant, but they insistedand a chest x-ray, a doctor came in to see me. He sat down with his clipboard and started asking me all the usual questions. Eventually he came to the What medications are you taking? question. Ordinarily thats an easy one: Nothing. But it just so happened that I was taking something for my annual case of poison ivy. Im never certain how I got it, but I always manage to come down with it every spring. Truth is, I dont even know what poison ivy looks likewhich may be part of my problem.

I tried to pronounce the name of the drug I was taking. After three or four failed attempts, the doctor deciphered what had been prescribed and wrote it down. Then he asked, They didnt prescribe a steroid as well? No, they hadnt. The reason being, Id insisted that my family doctor give me the steroid in the form of a shot. Two shots, actually. When I shared this bit of seemingly insignificant news with the doctor, he put down his pen and smiled. I think I know what your problem is.

This was good news. Sandra has been wondering since we were married.

What? I asked.

Its the steroids. Youre going to be fine. Once they work their way through your system, your heart will settle back down.

And you know whathe was right. The problem took care of itself.

As youve probably guessed from this story, Im not a doctor. And this is not a book about your physical heart. Its about your other heart.

You know, that invisible part of you that philosophers, poets, and preachers refer to all the time. That thing that got broken in the ninth grade when whats-her-name said she just wanted to be friends. Im talking about that part of you that swells up with pride when you see your kids do something great. Its that thing that gets all nostalgic when you hear an old Journey tune (or whatever music served as the soundtrack for your senior year). Its that part of me that fills up when Sandra sits down next to me on the front row at church every Sunday morning. Amazing how that still happens after all these years