582810_10150992085047890_517029487_nIn an instant, less than one second, a single complete pulsation of the heart—life can change. The beating of the organ that pumps the lifeblood is so fittingly the phrase that describes how quickly life can change.

Heartbeat.

In a heartbeat life can be birthed or a last breath drawn. Years of routine and familiarity can halt after one phone call. No one knows what tomorrow holds. I have never been more keenly aware of this. This year has opened my eyes.

December 4 marks 45 years of my husband’s heart beating. This past October nearly changed that. The doctor called it a silent heart attack. Silent. As in, no damage to the heart. As in, a sort of precursor to “the big one.” His arrival at that hospital was just in time.

Arriving home the day after his heart cath and stent was surreal. I sat in the car looking at him. The realization that I could’ve driven home alone washed over me. I could’ve lost him; but I didn’t. Nothing has been the same since that moment.

We’ve experienced our share of trials this year. We’ve witnessed life as a military family with our oldest daughter’s deployment. We’ve felt the distance of miles and time. Two car wrecks have stripped us of any shred of invincibility. But Joe’s heart attack has been the defining point.

Tonight I will sleep next to my husband. I pray I will never forget that life’s moments—heartbeats—are precious. We aren’t promised tomorrow. And here’s the thing: more important than the very beating of your own heart is whether or not you have the blood of the One who died for you covering that heart that beats. Because without it, none of the other stuff really matters anyway.

When you know that your lifeblood is flowing through your veins, you know you’re alive. An attack on the heart can cause you to appreciate life and open your eyes to its fragile, fleeting existence.

But do we have to wait for those jolts in life, jolts in our heart’s rhythm, to come to this realization? Can’t we just be aware that we are numb?

I pray I’ll never go numb again. I don’t want to miss the moments any longer. I pray you won’t either.

Life is in the blood. Be covered in the blood of the One who is The Life. Otherwise, you haven’t even started living.

And then take in the joy of every single moment. One heartbeat at a time.

Happy Birthday, Joe!!! You still make my heart skip a beat. I love you