These days so much attention is focused on health, eating organic, exercise etc. etc. ad nauseum... I have no problem with striving to be healthy and taking care of one's body - it is the temple of the Holy Spirit and it is a precious vessel - a gift from God. However, to some degree it feels as if we've made the pursuit of health into some kind of god. If we (I) spent the same amount of energy pursuing our spiritual health - time with the Father, soaking up His life-giving and directional Word, meditating and worshiping I think we'd finally have the cart in front of the horse and our "outer health" & our view of it would more naturally fall into alignment.
Lest you think I am preaching from a high and lofty place, let it be known that I fall very short when it comes to my own health. I know that I have spent far more money than I should on "supplements" and various "regular" and "natural" health practitioners in my pursuit to stay somewhat healthy. I'm awful when it comes to eating properly on a regular basis. (Thus enter "THE SUPPLEMENTS" to make up for what I am too lazy to prepare the time consuming way). And as far as exercising I'm basically a non-participant due to living in a wheelchair and only sporadically doing the few exercises I am able to do! As far as spiritual exercises - I pray alot...but not in a disciplined manner. I read my Bible less often than I need to, but a little bit certainly goes a long way. Two verses I love that relate to our obsession with eating well and that remind us of proper priorities & why we should pray before or during eating:
"For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and
prayer" 1 Tim. 4:4
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" Romans 14:17
I have been amused in my "health pursuit" to find that I can get myself into a quandry rather than get myself healthy if I'm not careful. For instance - recently I came home exhausted, ready to fall into bed, but first I had to take my final supplement of the day (trying to accomplish an internal cleanse...I will not elaborate). I took the capsule and tried to swallow it...but found to my dismay that it had lodged sideways rather high up in my esophagus. Try as I might, I could not get it down. I could not even get it UP again!! It sat there, stubbornly unmoving...even when I drank hot liquids, cold liquids, hung my head upside down, and swallowed repetitively. Unfortunately it was enteric coated (meaning it felt like hard plastic - designed to open much lower down the system). My daughter was concerned watching my antics so I tried to appear calm and relaxed as I informed her that I was going to the Emergency Department to have it removed. I knew I couldn't sleep with that large object lodged so close to my airway so I took myself through the Triage stages in Emerg, feeling a bit like a small child that had stuck a pea up my nose or something. FINALLY, 45 minutes after "THE INCIDENT" I could feel the pill change it's position and slide further down the channel. I simply slipped out of Emerg with my newly aquired wrist band and drove home to bed. It was a long night with a painful esophagus and I no longer take those pills.
So last night, I had heart burn. Knowing the healing benefits of honey, I took a half a teaspoon full and immediately noticed that it had tried to progress down my wind pipe. I tried swallowing water, coughing & sputtering as the honey worked it's way completely into the wrong area. This went on for the rest of the evening, me trying to clear my throat to remove the irritant. Even as I sit here now, I am still aware of the rawness in my throat and am still making those little "ahem" noises again and again. What is it with me and swallowing?
I pray that I will not do myself in trying to get healthy!! The headlines would make for interesting reading: "Woman kills herself trying to get well" Good thing my days are numbered by God and I can keep entrusting myself into His care! Here's to good health!
4 comments:
I haven't been to visit you here for a week! It was a treat to be able to share in your walk the past few days with the click of a mouse!
A few thoughts for you...remember that snow is moisture..and moisture is critical to grow big, beautiful plants and flowers..so today as you look out on the wintery landscape, think BIG FLOWERS!!
As I reflect on my everchanging schedule and routine,the walk through the past week went fairly well as i sought God to lead me. These small steps of daily trust in God brought me to an amazing river flowing day on Thurs.(I felt great) By that evening I thought I had been swept away in the torrent
of the same river, leaving me feeling very small and powerless.
( I was down at emerg. too!)
In summary, my week has shown me that I can seek God, take small steps or leaps of faith but simply put...THINGS ARE NOT IM MY CONTROL and sometimes life takes random turns that leave me looking foolish and asking God, " Wasn't I being faithful?" I won't ask why today. Your walk shows me that it isn't about me anyway!
I will thank him for his presence, Love and protection...and the coming of spring!!! Mostly I am thanking him for a wonderful friend like you!! God Bless you richly today!!
How fun that we can connect here...as we journey through this uncertain world with a most caring Father (keeping us alive, despite our trips to Emerg, getting caught up in the torrents of life etc. etc.) May His Face shine brightly upon You this week & His favour be poured down upon you in the most surprising ways!
Battle Maiden
Hello?
I have heard that Battle Maiden is a budding writer and poet. I also hear she has ideas for children's books. Can you tell me if we, the adoring public, can look forward to any forthcoming authorings here on the Maiden's one and only original blog?
I am back from Maui, struggling with re-entry after Paradise. There are so many things to catch up on and this morning, after dragging myself out of bed I landed on your blog, a happy little oasis in my desert journey.
The pursuit of health reminded me of the greeting in 3 John that links body health with soul health. "I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well."
As I prepared to go to Maui, I got very caught up in exercise and body image to be "bathing suit worthy" for my vacation at the beach. I was in pursuit of a flat belly, as much as possible anyway for my 50+ aging body. The very first Sunday we were in church, one of the scriptures was from Philippians and hit me over the head like a ton of bricks. Interesting how God's Word can slam dunk us and speak right into the issues of the heart or belly in this case. I realized I had bowed down to an idol of sorts and had to confess my obsession. "...many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in Heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior , the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body." Philippians 3:18-21 NRSV
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