Today I woke up with some sinus congestion. Nothing serious, but just enough to cause me to look back at where I had been, and what I had done for the past day or so. Was I around something that I was sensitive or allergic to. Maybe it was because I was in and out of the car several times during this drizzly, humid day.

It makes me stop and think of how many times before, has this same scenario played it’s self out. How many times have woken up with an ache, sore muscle, stuff head, or sore throat?  I automatically put my mind in rewind to try and figure out the culprit for my most recent bodily discomfort.

It’s funny I also do this same thing if I find I have butterflies in my stomach, tension across my shoulders. Though at 72 years old not nearly as many things bother me. The things I used to concern myself with hardly merit a thought anymore. I have found that when you go through probably your roughest season in life, which for me was burying my husband. My oldest sister was married to his oldest brother, so we met when we were 14 and 16. So if you do the math and subtract 14 from 72, well you get the idea. He had been in some way part of my life, for most of my life.

When you think to yourself, I really don’t know if I can do this. You really haven’t even the slightest idea what THIS is. What I can say is that 3 ½ years later, I am still doing the THIS. At times I still feel like I am not totally convinced that I am up for walking out life’s challenges alone. But what I do know, is the sun will set tonight, and come up tomorrow morning. I of course also know that though I can get lonely at times, I am never alone. Jesus my friend that I met about 65 years ago has never left.

Like headaches, or a sore back or throat may cause me to look back at what the culprit may be. I can look at what might have given me my butterflies. Someone said or did something. Maybe I have a meeting, or I have to speak, or preach somewhere. But the tendency to look back or ahead is common for us to try and figure out our state of emotional unrest. Physically and emotionally, I think we are pretty good at understanding cause and effect. Whether we do anything with that information or not, may vary.

As many times as we probably have all done this mental exercise to figure out what possibly caused our ache, or pain or butterflies.

This week it came to me, I wonder how often we think the same thing when we have sickness of spirit. You know that sickness in our gut that can’t be touched by anything over the counter or prescriptions. Remember the old saying (I have this gut feeling.) That’s the place I am talking about. That place that turns and churns when you know that you did, thought, or said something that was not going to let you rest until you dealt with it.

Do we as readily ask ourselves where we have been? What have I been nourishing myself with. Am I trying to survive on a fast-food spiritual diet. Do I pull up to God’s drive through each morning with my order, read the word.  Just like some of our physical food, we eat it so fast we hardly remember the flavor. Do we read a quick verse, close the book, and go on with our day.

I think one of the biggest things we do as westerners is pour most of our time and energy into being comfortable, and/or entertained. UNTIL something happens. Until that phone call comes, or your child screams, the checkbook has only zeros. Life hits and we are suddenly called to run a sprint, maybe a marathon. We have been spiritual coach potatoes for quite some time. When we look in our spiritual suitcase for that word we have hidden in our hearts and realize it has been so long that we can hardly make out the words on the pages.

It reminds me of Dr visits where they always ask, “How long have you had this problem?”. “How have you been sleeping? “How is your appetite.? How is your energy?” I wonder if we could benefit by asking ourselves “How long has my spirit felt, drained, strained, or weak.

How is my environment? Am I subjecting myself to things that seem more to subtract from me rather than add. Am I continuously filling my head with things that are weakening my resolve. Have I become so self-absorbed that the entire sum of my life is about how everything affects me. Are you more concerned about the one looking back at you in the mirror, than perhaps those at the breakfast table, or your coworkers?

During the pandemic we had to keep a safe distance from anyone/thing that could infect us. Possibly wear a mask, or in some environments a better mask. At other times the safest thing we could do was just to stay home.

Maybe our spirits could benefit from a few safety tips. 

Ways to Prevent Sickness of Spirit.

> Be mindful of your environment. (Is it adding to God’s call on your life, or even your own goals.)

> Be careful of who you’re close to. (Your friends today, will always influence your tomorrow). REMEMBER telling your kids that. It’s still true.

> Make sure you are taking in healthy, living food. Sometimes I get to lazy to make something fresh and healthy, so I reheat left overs. When is that last time you learned something new, or you received a fresh Word from God.

> Get plenty of rest.  Our Bodies need it, our Minds need it, and yes, our Spirit needs it. When was the last time we laid our heads on our pillows and could truthfully say. Good night, Lord “It is well with my soul’?

                                                          *************

For those interested in a little Bible.     Book of Mark chapter 14

A lesson from Peter. One of Jesus closest disciples. A SLOW FADE!

Vs. 29   Peter declared…everyone else may leave you. I never will!

Vs. 37-38   Jesus asked him to pray…He slept!

Vs.  54   Peter followed… At a distance!

Vs.  68,69,71   Peter denied knowing Jesus!