A couple of years ago, John felt unwell, went to hospital and discovered he was suffering from an inherited heart disorder.
This prompted some research and introspection which resulted in this poem which he shared as part of the August Aspire service.
My Heart
God loves my pulmonary artery
It pumps away incessantly
He designed the part quite expertly
Carrying blood from heart to lungs
Who else would give me an aorta
Measured well, not long or shorter
From tissue, not from bricks or mortar
An aorta made to last
And my ventricles, well, where do I start ?
God put two there in my heart
Every day playing their part
Receiving blood from the atrium
But listen here, this blows my mind
The vena cava you will find
It’s a largish vein and it does wind….
….up from the lower half of my body
It pumps the blood down past my knee
God designed it perfectly
A great creator is the key
To have a happy heart
My tricuspid valve is awesome, man
Believe me, I’m its biggest fan
Sits between the atrium
And the right – hand ventricle
On the left – hand side, guess what I’ve got ?
A mitral valve, and do you know what ?
It controls my blood right on the dot
Feeding my left atrium
I get beside myself when I
Think of my chordae tendonae
Wow such a gift money can’t buy
I’ll tell you what they do
They’re tendons and their job’s to go….
….from papillary muscles, where they flow….
….up to some valves, giving such a show….
…. of strength and togetherness in there
I know God made this engine strong
Labouring away all day long
So I lift my voice and sing a song
And give it back to Him
For my heart, I give God praise
He’s creative in so many ways
He never ceases to amaze
Where do His ideas come from ?
Because He knows that I love Him
And sees me working down the gym
He knows I’m fit, and full to the brim
Of thanks and gratefulness
I’ve done my best, no fags or chocs
But if I’m ill down at the doc’s
And end up horizontal in my box
My God will sort it out
Yer see this body, it’s just a tent
My heart and lungs they’ve just been lent
The day will come when I get sent
To swop this for perfection
All these parts crack on each day
God maintains them in His way
He’s my physician, what can I say
My heart I give to Him
© 2008 John Sterry