“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

What does it look like to have a pure heart?

To me it looks like Jeff.

I met him this week over coffee.  It was a work appointment. He was someone I needed to get to know in my new network. Jeff is a counselor who works primarily with addicts and people living on the street.  He can connect well with that population, for he was once part of it.

His story is a compelling one.  For five years in his late 20’s he was un-housed, what many people today call homeless, sleeping by rivers and under bridges.  He described his horribly hard life in vivid detail.  An experience like his is hard to listen to, and I would imagine even harder to forget. By his own admission it’s a miracle he’s alive.  And it makes him grateful.  Very grateful.

Three things led him off the streets and into his new life.  One was the gift of a pair of dry socks, given to him by a complete stranger.  Another was the gift of a warm coat, gifted to him while he was in the process of getting sober.  Two small acts of kindness that made a monumental difference in his life.  A reminder of the significance of seemingly small, insignificant acts.  But that’s another story.  The third was a pivotal morning when he woke up to the sound of a voice that told him that he could one day help people like himself.  He listened to that call.  He went back to school and got his degree.  Currently he’s working on his PhD.  A success story.  But what makes him unique is his pure heart.

Ironically, Jeff has a bad heart, physically speaking.  His life on the streets took its toll, and some years later it was discovered that he had numerous leaks in his mitral valve—or something like that.  As Jeff recounts it, it’s a miracle he’s alive.  The heart surgery he underwent fixed his heart.  The life surgery he experienced on the streets made his heart pure.

Jeff exudes love.  Love for his wife and his two sons, one of whom has a severe developmental disability, leaving him with the mental and emotional capacity of a two-year-old.  Jeff’s pure heart beats for his family.  And it beats for those who are still living their lives like he did on the streets.  He regularly goes out to meet with them wherever they are at, sitting by their tents, or under bridges, or talking with them on street corners.  As he describes his interactions with others his passion, care, and yes love comes clearly through.  I could not only hear, but almost see his pure heart.

I am convinced that each of us is created with a pure heart.  But things in life darken, occlude, or cause our hearts to leak.  Love is lost, not only for others but ourselves.  Perhaps we also become homeless, having wandered like the younger prodigal son far from our Father’s house.  The beautiful thing is that no matter how far we think we’ve journeyed, God’s grace is always present, right around the next street corner.  God’s grace and love that is given in small ways, whether that be a pair of dry socks, a coat, or a companion to come and walk alongside of us.

Dear reader, if you feel as if your heart is impure for whatever reason, take heart; God performs surgery in the most unlikely of ways and people.  Or, if you feel as if your heart is pure, continue to look for opportunities to share the love filling it with others.

As I left my time with Jeff, my heart was happy.  I realized that Jeff’s pure heart continued to enlighten those of others.