Recently, when visiting my mom, one of my favorite things happened when my mom showed me one of her recent paintings that i haven’t seen before. I love her paintings and always look forward to seeing her new creations. This one was an unusual painting, with a definite story behind it, and when i saw it, it made me sort of gasp at the deep emotion behind the painting. But what made it extra tear jerking was the text written on the back of the canvas, a story i don’t remember ever hearing before and one i will treasure for the whole rest of my life.
My mom is a private person, holding the most precious things closest to her heart. I am like that too, but when i read this story, i immediately wanted to share it with the whole internet. When i asked if we could share it here, Mom hesitated but then decided it was a good idea.
I have included her story below and her illustration in the header of this post. I hope you enjoy and are encourage and inspired by this peek into the heart of the primary lump of clay, and most importantly, the goodness and faithfulness of our Father God.
A Step of Faith and a Brand New Heart
I was born into a Christian family and attended church regularly while growing up. Our church and denomination believed in holiness, but it was to a large degree an outward holiness. The women were required to dress a certain way and keep their hair long. We were not supposed to wear jewelry or makeup or go to the movies. I don’t remember hearing much about the love of God. Salvation seemed to be all about rules.
When I was a teenager I was invited to go to a winter retreat with some friends from a church in another community. The youth group from their church was invited to a church at a ski resort in a mountain town, and would participate in the services that were going to be held each evening.
One evening I was not feeling well and didn’t go to the service, but I stayed in the room where all the girls slept. This room was right next to the sanctuary, and I could hear the testimonies by these young people.
I knew I needed what they had. I had never surrendered to the Lord because I really didn’t know that He was a loving God. In my mind He was someone to be afraid of and not someone you could have a relationship with. But I longed to know the Savior in a personal way.
As I was lying there in my sleeping bag, listening to the service and the wonderful testimonies by the youth group, it was like I had a vision. I saw myself standing on top of a cliff high above the ground, and I knew I had a choice to make. I could either remain the way I was, miserable and afraid, or I could take a step forward. That meant stepping off the cliff. And I knew one of two things would happen when I did.
I would either fall to the ground and be destroyed, or someone would catch me.
In this vision I took that step off the cliff, and I didn’t fall! It was as if I stepped onto a big hand that held me up and wouldn’t let me fall.
Right after this I went to sleep and slept all night. When I got up the next morning I didn’t even think about what had happened the night before, until I went outside.
When I stepped outside and saw the pure white snow all around, with the sun shining on it and making it sparkle, I all of a sudden remembered, and my heart felt just like that beautiful clean snow. And I felt such a peace in my heart, and there was no turmoil or fear. I just felt brand new!
It’s amazing what God can do if you just trust Him. In Ezekiel 36:26 He says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
That was many, many years ago, but He has been faithful, and I still have that peace He gave me when I trusted Him for salvation.
I took a step of faith, and He gave me a brand new heart!
Maud Barker, lump of clay
