Have you ever felt like you had something tugging on your heartstrings and felt like something needed to be listened to and taken care of? This is a story about a young high school boy who felt a tightness in his chest and realized it was Jesus trying to get his attention with some very specific instructions and how he felt that tugging on his heart strings throughout various times in his life along with his future wife.
One night after a football game, Gregory was working out in the high school gym and working out on the treadmill when a beautiful young cheerleader walked in and asked him if she could join him in his work-out. He said yes and they started to get to know each other. A few hours later during the
That next Sunday, Brittney decided to come to church with Gregory and he introduced her to the youth minister Chad who was his brother. She then was introduced to everybody else in the room and they were very welcoming. They were excited to learn the news that she would be attending with them and they all became fast friends. A few days later Gregory was back at the gym and during his workout he felt something tugging at his heartstrings again and he knew what it was about. This time, the voice said: "I want you to throw a party for Brittney next Friday. Her adoption process will be completed by the night of the party and she must not know that her new parents will be at the party. They have been studying with her and during the party, she will pull you aside to talk to you. Then you will understand what will happen. So that night after he left the gym he called everybody in the youth group who they go to school with and also told his brother Chad; about the upcoming party the night of the adoption being completed. A week later it was the day of the party and all throughout school Brittney saw many from the youth-group inviting her to the party. She then went home and received the news that the adoption process was complete and they were her official parents. She then told them about the party that she was invited to attend with the youth group with the help of his brother.
That night of the party, everybody was celebrating the completion of her adoption and that she decided that she would place membership at the church that everybody who was at the party attended. She then pulled Gregory aside and told him: "I would like to set up some bible studies with you and Chad, so I can learn more about Christ and who he was. Gregory was glad to tell her that He will talk to his him in helping set up some bible studies along with him to teach Brittney more about God's word. Things started making some sense to Gregory and why he started feeling something tugging on his heartstrings at the gym during the middle of the night to reach out and encourage Brittney and make her feel at home. A year has past and She asked Chad if he would baptize her after studying with her new parents,
1st Thessalonians 4:18 (King James Version) : Wherefore encourage one another with these words. Hebrews 10:25 (NIV Version) not giving up meeting together, are some in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Fast forward five years later and Gregory and Brittney are married and both owners of a brand-new gym and both physical therapists where they work closely with the high school coaches to rebuild the faith and the strength of the athletes; to help them to recover and regain their strength. Gregory and Brittney work with athletes every day and help arrange fitness plans for the athletes to help them with their training and sports. Gregory and Brittney always did a bible study with all of their athletes every day after workouts and therapy. She was about to be out of the gym for a few weeks because she was expecting a new baby girl to arrive. A young high school football player came in on a set of crutches escorted by his coaches and they began to discuss the treatment plan for the athlete. The first step in establishing the treatment plan was that he was to have surgery for he tore his ACL. Brittney then called Gregory out and they began to come up with the treatment plan for his recovery after his surgery. All of the sudden while discussing the possible treatment plans with the football coaches He started feeling that same tightness in his chest that he felt five years ago when he felt the tugging on his heartstrings. He then excused himself to his office and he started crying with tears in his eyes.
After the coaches left, she came in to check on her husband and she was very supportive of what he was told in his office that made him cry. He heard the voice: This is Danny, he is a high school football player who really needs extra help and encouragement. He is frightened and worried that he will not ever play sports again. I need you and Brittney to take good care of him for I trust you both and show him the truth throughout his recovery. Three weeks later Brittney gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and was going to be out of the gym for almost a month leaving Gregory to run the gym with their other trainers at their gym: Athletes are Important and Rebuilding Strength with each other and with God.
A month later she got a call from Danny's mother frantically wanting them to rush over and talk to Danny. Brittney hung up and called the overnight on-call babysitter and she gently woke her husband and told him that Danny was really needing our help. She felt something tugging on her heartstrings and it wasn't right because she remembers the words her husband told her when he felt the tugging on his heartstrings about Danny. When they got over to their house, his mother took them both to Danny's room and she went downstairs. When they entered the room He spoke up and said that he was losing hope and wasn't sure what to do. Gregory and Brittney talked with them and said a prayer on his behalf and then they came up with a schedule after therapy to have bible studies with some of their therapists that work at their gym. Three months later Danny recovered and was no longer on crutches but decided to continue working out at Gregory and Brittney's gym.
He was then baptized by Gregory's brother Chad who became the official counselor of the gym and was still the youth minister at church to help those young athletes.
Psalm 31:24 (NKJV) Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 71:5 (NIV) For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 1st Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV) And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Three years later, Gregory and Brittney both had a tightness in their chest. They both felt it was something tugging at their heart-strings. This time, they both heard some instructions with the tugging on their heart strings. One voice told Brittney that she must take her daughter and herself to the woman's shelter down the road and that they will both be helping restore the faith of the women at the shelter and she will be doing physical therapy with the mothers while Alyssa will be working with the children for the next few days. Gregory's instructions were: Gregory I need you to go the gym for a few days and talk to one of your trainers. He is going through some issues right now and asked if you would talk to him individually and spend some time with him in the gym. He went and told his wife that he was heading to the gym to meet up with trainer Timothy. She told him that while he was going to be working with the trainer that Alyssa and she will be working at the women's shelter. Brittney started working with the women at the shelter and then she started singing praises to God and other women joined her in singing. She was restoring the faith of the women while helping them with some therapy. Meanwhile, Gregory was at the gym talking with Timothy and figuring out some of the issues to help him through them.
They both had a feeling of something tugging at their heartstrings and they were to respond to help others restore their health and help restore their faith. A-men.
Have you ever had a feeling of tugging on your heartstrings and you have to let it out to help or encourage others?
2nd Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV) For we walk by faith, not by sight. James 2:22 (NIV) You see that his faith and his actions were working together and his faith was made complete by what he did. Romans 10: 10 (KJV) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. A-men.
