Have you seen the “How Hard Did Aging Hit You” Challenge?
This is the latest internet craze where willing participants place their first profile picture alongside their current profile picture to see how they’ve changed in recent years.
But rather than compare profile pictures, my wife and I want to propose an interesting idea.
What if, in addition to how we’ve changed on the outside, we share how we’ve changed on the inside?
External appearance is the quick eye test that tells us whether we’ve added a few wrinkles, lost weight or changed our hair style, but the real test of who we have become has to do with what’s happened within.
How has our heart changed? Have we overcome that addiction? Is our marriage better, or worse? Have we become a better steward of our finances? Are we moving closer to realizing our dreams?
These are the questions that truly matter and the testimonies that the world needs to hear. There are countless people struggling through significant circumstances—circumstances that are overwhelming. But in the midst of those struggles, people need to hear stories of hope.
With that being said, we thought it would be fun to create a “Heart Change” Challenge. The idea is simple. Share two pictures along with a brief testimony of how your heart has changed during that time span.
And just so you know that you’re not alone, we’ll go first.
Ten Years Later
Ten years ago my wife and I were $500,000 in debt, struggling with infertility and fighting to save our marriage. Quite honestly, it was the worst time of our lives.
The picture on the left was at the height of our pain. The cute shirts were simply a cover-up for what was going on inside. The picture on the right is us today. We’re debt free, raising four beautiful children and pursuing our life’s passions. But more importantly, our smiles are real.
Matt and Liz Ham | Heart Change Challenge | 2009-2019
My wife and I can’t take credit for the transformation that has happened. All credit and glory must go to God for the work He has done, and the work He continues to do.
The purpose of this challenge is to encourage others to not make the same mistakes we did.
Ten years ago my wife and I weren’t willing to be honest about the condition of our hearts. As a result, we hid beneath the facade because it was too difficult to talk about. But I can promise you this, dealing with the pain of mistakes was a heck-of-a-lot worse than dealing with an uncomfortable conversation.
Take the Challenge
We hope that this will help others look beneath the pictures to see what’s going on within. In addition, we hope that it will challenge folks to have honest conversations about where they are and give them the courage to step into who they were created to be. Most importantly, that these testimonies will be a beacon of hope for others.
The world is in desperate need of good news. The “Heart Change” Challenge lets you be that good news. Remember, external qualities are not a true measure of who you are. Who you are has to do with our heart—with what’s going on inside.
So, tell us about you.
Over the past few years, who have you become?
Better yet, who are you becoming?
MH
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