She had somehow obtained a couple of Taylor’s bunions and had finally seen the doctor about it. Although he thought they were quite large for someone like her, he was hesitant to do surgery just yet. He wanted her to rather take the needed effort to help them not get worse. She also obtained a splint to wear to possibly realign the toes.

As she looked at her feet one day, she was so over it. She just wanted to have the surgery and not need to worry about the problem anymore. But a few months later while getting ready for the day, I remembered her bunions and thought about the surgery. To correct them surgically, they would shave off part of the bone from the bunion and also use screws to keep the pinky toe separated from the rest of the toes to help with realignment. And I thought about our hearts. Particularly mine.

There are times when I allow things into my heart that shouldn’t be there. Pride, selfishness, offense. Critical thoughts, a lack of forgiveness, and bitterness. The list could go on and on. How will I correct it? Am I willing to take the measures needed to see that it doesn’t get any worse? Or would I rather close off that part of my heart, get rid of vulnerability, and not allow any weakness to show? 

The bone of a bunion is a necessary bone in the foot. It is not an extra bone that has suddenly grown. It is a normal bone that gets pushed out of place when the toe gets out of alignment. We need that bone and when the doctor shaves part of it off, we lose some of the bone that we will never get back. 

When it comes to my heart, I want my heart to be bigger rather than smaller. Yet it seems too often I allow some of my heart to get shaved off. The bitterness and lack of forgiveness cause me to shut off a certain part of my heart. The pride and selfishness can create a heart so small it has no room for anyone else. The offense can be like the screw and create space between us and others. Just like that bone which in surgery gets shaved off, part of my heart can be rendered useless when I allow things in my heart to be out of alignment. 

Hardly ever do I think about this. Although I know I need to guard my heart well for out of it are the issues of life, I sometimes want to hold so fast to those things that are already in there. And when it comes to realigning with Jesus, instead of getting rid of the thing that is causing it, I would rather just shave off part of the precious heart He has given me. I’d rather use a screw to keep my damaged heart from leaning than to quit making it lean in the first place. Why is this so hard?

The doctor told his patient that he could go in and do the surgery but she would need it again and again as the years went by. How far am I willing to go before I realize the alignment is my own responsibility? How much of my heart am I willing to have shaved off before I realize how small my heart has become? 

Jesus says his yoke is easy and his burden is light and to come to Him and learn of Him. He has all the answers when it comes to realigning the heart which do not include screws or shaving off pieces. He creates a clean heart and renews a right spirit within us. He teaches us his paths and leads us in the way that is everlasting. Our hearts can stay big, our hearts can be flung wide open, and our hearts can overflow with goodness all because of our alignment with Him.