I was pondering the word "healthy" one day and I noticed the first four letters form the word h.e.a.l. Have you ever noticed that? How had I never seen that before? I have been on a journey to become emotionally heal-thy most of my adult life. Being the adult child of an alcoholic left me with an assortment of dysfunctional issues I didn't want to live with, nor did I want to pass crippling issues on to my children and grandchildren. And I wanted to keep my marriage....I was not an easy woman to live with. God in His infinite mercy and grace began putting people and information in my path. I was a sponge with a voracious desire to be whole and emotionally stable. I have come to realize that there is no "arrival date" to the journey of emotional healing. I am human. I fail. I sin. I hurt those I love. The truth is...we are all human. All people sin. They fail. They hurt others. There will always be cause for more growth and healing. Every day I have the choice to continue walking out my journey or drown in disillusionment, bitterness, unforgiveness, apathy, selfishness and disappointment.
Currently, my heal-thy focus has become my physical well-being. Being a caregiver for a loved one as I have been and continue to be, can take its toll mentally, emotionally, and physically. Hours upon hours sitting at a bedside, juggling other responsibilities, poor nutrition and lack of exercise can leave a person vulnerable to physical breakdown. Stress can become a silent killer. I do not want to become another statistic.
Web MD lists the following ten diseases as being related to stress:
Heart Disease
Asthma
Obesity
Diabetes
Tension and Migraine Headaches
Depression and Anxiety
Gastrointestinal Problems
Alzheimer's
Accelerated Aging
Premature Death
Sometimes life and health issues require us to make decisions to let go of good things to be able to give ourselves wholeheartedly to the best things. Why is the common greeting among people.."Are you staying busy?" Are you considered a lazy slacker if you answer no? My personal answer has become..."I'm as busy as I want to be." That usually ends the shallow chit chat. Well-known Bible teacher, Joyce Meyer, once made the point that we make our own schedules. So why is there always complaining about being soooo busy? WE choose our agendas. WE are the ones who need to learn to say.."No."
An important component of my getting heal-thy is weeding out of my schedule the activities and desires that may be good....but not for this time in my life. Life can easily become overgrown and scattered leaving one weary and worn. That is no way to live....that is not living. And most important...it is not how my Heavenly Father wants my life to be. The Holy Spirit writes these gentle words to you and me through the Old Testament Prophet, Isaiah.
The Lord will guide you continually,
giving you water when you are dry
and
restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like an ever-flowing spring.
Isaiah 58:11
NLT
I want to be a well watered garden....don't you? I want to be guided by the hand of my loving Father who knows all and sees all.
I pray you find the courage to begin your own journey of heal-thy. May you make some space and time to sit quietly and ponder how you truly desire to live. As you settle into a tucked away place I pray peace and stillness over your heart and soul.
May your ears hear His voice saying...
"This is the way, walk in it,"
when you turn to the right or when you
turn to the left.
Isaiah 30:21
ESV
