A Heart From Bethlehem by Kinnsi Sigler

I was afraid to feel. Afraid that if I let myself cry, I might not ever stop. It was in the heart of this trial that my sister-in-law came to visit at the hospital. She painted my daughter’s nails, we chatted, and then she gave us each a gift as she left. It was a wooden heart from Bethlehem, specially carved from an olive tree into the perfect size to fit in our hand. The note she left suggested that the heart be used in times of need, that as I tossed the heart around in my hand the oils from my skin would make this heart personal to me and remind me that as I turn to Christ, I will be rooted in Him no matter the turbulence of my trial.