Vol. 19 No. 07 | February 12, 2017
I am not sick! I am not in a health crisis of any sort (physical, mental or spiritual)!
I have kept this to myself to avoid rumors starting, but I have discovered in recent weeks that I may not be as healthy as I thought.
I had my annual physical a few weeks ago. After having made some adjustments to my blood pressure medicine at the end of 2016, I was pleased that my numbers were again in the acceptable range. I did the rest of the things a 63-year-old-men is supposed to do in those check-ups- blood work and a serious conversation with the doctor, which included, “Why are you not exercising?” Left the office feeling pretty good, thinking “I’m doing pretty well for a semi-old guy.”
A few days later the doctor’s nurse called saying, “The doctor wants you to make a few adjustments.” I will not go into the details but some numbers were not where they should be. She went on to inform me that I needed to back off on some foods, increase some of my meds and vitamins, and begin taking another med. Turns out that I’m not as healthy as I thought.
Several months after leaving my preaching position, my wife and I were binging on the West Wing. Many times we had to pause between episodes for brief conversations on how that scene impacted us. Most included a passing wish that Josiah Bartlett could be in the current presidential race, or how we had forgotten about that actor or actress being on the show.
During one season, the White House team had faced several challenges but had survived them all and came out victorious in the second term election. C. J., Toby, Josh, Leo and the whole team enjoyed a jubilant time of celebration. During that episode, I paused it, wiped tears from my eyes, and when my wife questioned me, I muttered, “I miss the team!” Turns out, I’m not as healthy as I thought.
Having survived a few months in this new chapter of life, I was feeling pretty good about things. I decided to venture off into a pretty exciting and demanding new phase to develop some skills and add a few more tools to my ministry tool box. I was pumped. I was excited. I was invigorated by how enjoyable and helpful this was going to be.
That is, until I had a mind implosion. “I have no room for this information in my brain.” “As much as I want to do this, I cannot.” I was sad. I was disappointed with myself. I was angry with myself. I was frustrated with wasting money we did not have to waste. Turns out, I’m not as healthy as I thought.
I’m not as healthy as I thought. That is quite a realization. Yes, I realized years ago that I was not as young as I once was and could not physically do many of the things I once did. That is part of life. That is part of getting semi-older. No Sweat! (Partly because I do not move as quickly as I once did, so I don’t sweat as much as I once did.)
So it is, or will be, with accepting the reality that I am not as healthy as I thought. After numerous conversations with my wife, friends, and the Lord, I am understanding more about what these things mean and how to deal with them.
The primary message I have received is simple: It is okay! Maybe you’re not as healthy as you thought, but you still have a good heart, a good mind, two good legs, good friends, a loving family, and all kinds of opportunities to serve the Lord in your present condition. So, it is okay.
Closely attached to that is: It is a time for you to rest. Enjoy it, and rest.
Words like the following have brought me peace as I realize that I am not as healthy as I thought.
Ecclesiastes 2:22-24, (NIV)
22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.
24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,..
Matthew 11:27-29, (NIV)
27 All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Maybe you are going through a similar phase of life. Against your will, you are slowing your pace. You keep hearing the same message in every sermon, every song, and seeing it in everything you read: “It’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to slow down. It’s okay to back away for a while and let yourself heal.”
Jesus did it regularly. God considered it important enough to include it as one of His laws. If He thought it was such a good idea, and necessary, maybe you can crawl down off your self-made pedestal long enough to let the Lord run the world. He has been doing it for a long time.
Maybe you need to rest a while so He can make you healthier than you ever thought you could be. The things He has planned for you to do will get done when He is ready for them to get done.
Tom
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2017. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.