Follow Through
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
Psalm 1:1-3
I am 54 years old. I’ve been prematurely grey for almost half of my life, and dyed my hair for all of my adult life, up until six years ago, as I’d always equated grey hair with old age. When I started letting the grey grow out, I emphasized to everyone (but mostly to myself) the premature aspect of premature grey. Lately however, the persistent body aches and pains that accompany me when I move my arm oddly (frozen shoulder in my right shoulder) or even if I sit a bit too long (sciatica in my left leg) have caused me to rethink my insistence on premature, because lately I feel rather…tenured. Yes, we’ll go with tenured…or seasoned. I am a seasoned adult.
The conditions I mention above have plagued me for a number of months now. I’ve seen doctors for both of them; an orthopedic surgeon for the frozen shoulder for which I received two cortisone shots and a six-week course of physical therapy, and I’m currently going to Airrosti for my sciatica. With the physical therapy and the Airrosti, I was given a list of exercises and stretches to do at home to improve the range of motion and flexibility as well as prevent re-injury.
Even though I am a rule follower, I did not do the home exercises diligently. In fact, there were some days that I did not do them at all. I know that I should; I wake up and tell myself that I am going to get the requisite number of stretches in so that I won’t have to stand up every so often in a meeting to elongate the hip flexor muscle so that the pain in my hip will cease. These doctors and physical therapists have determined that this exercise and stretching routine will help my situation; why is it I don’t routinely do the exercises on my own time? It’s important for me to do these things; it’s simply not enough for me to go to the Airrosti doctor once a week and expect that his treatment will stick without much (or any) follow through or work on my part. I am in control of my commitment to this course of treatment; I am going to get out of it the degree to which I put into it.
Such is the lens we need to apply to our relationship with our heavenly Father. We can’t be what one pastor termed a “52-hour-a-year Christian”—you know, the one who attends church every Sunday, but doesn’t study the scriptures or spend time in prayer and communion with our Lord on a daily basis. It isn’t enough to simply go to church every Sunday—we’re not going to get a participation trophy just for showing up. No—we must curate our relationship with the Lord by spending time at home, in prayer and in His word on a regular (read: daily) basis. It is in this time that we get to know Him, and find more about ourselves in the process. We learn to seek His direction for ourselves and His body; we grow in spiritual maturity and wisdom. We go to church to hear His word taught and hear his message through our Sunday School teachers and pastors; we augment that understanding in prayer, reading scriptures, and sharing our experiences, questions, and testimonials with our brothers and sisters in Christ. As we grow in grace, we experience a gradual sanctification that causes us to be aware of the extent of our sin and the depth of the grace that He provides; we feel the nudging of the Holy Spirit guiding us away from sin.
Friends, this growth doesn’t happen overnight. It is a result of a commitment to walking with our Lord, on His terms and in His time, not our own. We must be an active participant in the relationship. Give the Lord your dedicated time and He will honor and bless it.
Prayer Requests
Prayers for:
Those facing the loss of loved ones, especially those for whom we have had memorial services of late
Those struggling with depression
Caretakers of family members with health problems
Those seeking to know His will for their lives
Because I’ve been sitting for a bit writing this, my hip is hurting. I am going to do my stretches and home exercises after I send this out. I’m also asking for your help in keeping me accountable to doing them, so I hereby give you permission to ask me how I’m coming along with them. Ha!
Quotes
“We will never change the world by going to church. We will only change the world by being the church.”
“We are very good lawyers for our own mistakes, but very good judges for the mistakes of others.”
“A narrow mind is usually accompanied by a wide mouth.”