“Tell Your Heart to Beat Again” is a song inspired by events in an operating room. A surgeon was performing open heart surgery on a woman. The heart was successfully repaired and it was ready to be functional in the woman’s body again. In the usual time and method of restarting the heart, nothing happened. Perplexed, the doctor leaned over and spoke to the anesthetized patient on the table: “Tell your heart to beat again.” Her heart began to pump and the operation ended successfully. Listen to Danny Gokey’s (American Idol Season 8) brief explanation of “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again” and then stay another couple of minutes to hear the moving song.
When I first heard someone tell the story behind the song,
I happened to be sitting beside a couple who are good friends of ours. They both had married the love of their lives as young adults. They had children and raised their families for decades. Then both lost their spouses to cancer; an unexpected, crushing end to their planned lifetimes. After a time of grief and adjustment, the widow and widower met each other. Their affection grew and eventually they married. It struck me that our friends also had allowed their hearts “to beat again.” For a time, I am sure it seemed to them that the world had stopped and there was no life ahead. Gradually the healing touch of God revived them.
Everyone faces challenges in life. Obviously, some difficulties are far more devastating than others. I don’t think I’ve encountered the depth of pain, loss, and collapse that some experience. I am grateful but there is more life ahead. When I think of “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again,” I think of persistence and not giving up. I think of expecting setbacks and realizing life isn’t perfect or easy. Psalm 90:15 says, “Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us.” We’ll have both kinds of days. So whatever sadness or failures come our way, God is there reminding us to go on, to check our pulse and get that heart going. Jesus put it bluntly yet hopefully when he said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take HEART! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)