An Ounce of Prevention (A Lesson About Wholeness and Healing)

This morning I am thinking about my last visit to the chiropractor. I had gone in because I could barely move. My backache was at the point where it hurt to walk, sit, stand, or even lie down. This would happen periodically after I had a rollover in my SUV. Always kind and compassionate, my chiropractor spoke to me firmly about not waiting so long between adjustments. He had told me this before…several times. I always had some excuse, though. Sometimes it was my crazy work schedule, and sometimes it was that I was traveling. Mostly it was just that I didn’t think I needed it. Most times, I considered the pain to be manageable. As he worked on me that day, he told me that I was “crooked” and “inflamed.” (I was thinking, “Man, you have no idea…”) Then he said something that struck me. He explained how the manifestation of my pain was the end of a progression of damage, due to misalignment and neglect. Just because I didn’t always feel much discomfort, I should not assume that all was well and skip regular appointments. If I were wise, I would be proactive and prevent the immobilizing agony in the first place. I find this to also be true with my spiritual health and well-being. Life experiences can spin me around and flip me upside down, jarring me to the very foundation of my soul, and knocking me out of alignment with God’s purpose and calling for me to live in hope, love, joy, and peace. Yet, I still sometimes choose to skip my regular “appointments” with Him, where I allow Him to minister wholeness and strength to my brokenness and weakness. I offer one excuse or another. Sometimes it’s that I’m too busy, and sometimes it’s that I’m too tired. But mostly, it’s that I just don’t understand how much I need it. I convince myself that my challenges, heartaches, and disappointments are manageable. I tell myself that it’s okay…that I’m okay. Eventually, though, I find myself “crooked and inflamed”…speaking, thinking, behaving, and believing in ways that are severely limited. When I seek Him out, I am grateful that He is always kind and compassionate. He exhorts me not to wait so long to approach His throne of grace. Then He heals and restores me once again.

Original post date:  August 16, 2012