HEALING

The Power Within, Greensboro, NC

I’ve been fortunate in life. It wasn’t until late in life that I’ve dealt with any major surgeries or serious accidents as I’ve traversed a variety of adventurous paths. My recent knee replacement has brought all of this back into perspective. I’ve watched with wonder as the wound that travels along a twelve inch length of my leg has slowly but surely healed over and is now just a thin red line where the gaping incision was made to replace my original equipment with the latest titanium model.

I found it amusing during one of my first days in a reconditioning facility to discover that the morning background music was the Rock ‘N Roll genre that defined my formative years of high school and college. It became obvious that these business folks had done their demographic homework and were following the first wave of the baby boomer generation that is now moving into their senior years while continuing to break new ground for active living. As a trained Industrial Engineer, I learned the rationale of Sutton’s Law early on in my career. Slick Willie Sutton had robbed one hundred banks in the mid 1900’s and was asked why he had chosen a life of crime to rob them. His infamous response was “because that’s where the money is”.

One of the main activities of Jesus’ three year ministry involved healing. He restored a blind man’s sight and a lame man’s ability to walk again. He drove out demons and even brought folks back from the dead. Yet, everywhere he traveled there were hundreds of people who continued to suffer and even those who were healed eventually shared the common fate of all human beings. These events demonstrated his ultimate power over this world and even death itself. Many folks get angry with God when petitions for healing are not immediately received. Some even use that example as a reason to not believe. And yet, we’re surrounded by thousands of examples of healing every day of our lives when we experience such seemingly trivial things as a slight paper cut on a finger. Blood clotting immediately springs into action to stop the bleeding and life threatening infections. The miracles of healing can be overlooked and never given a second thought or cause for thanksgiving. Our mortal bodies are fearfully and miraculously made by our eternal creator and father. We are the care giver but He is the cure giver. As priceless water revitalizes parched lands, the divine light within us provides priceless healing vitality and strength coursing throughout our weakened bodies. It’s almost impossible to guess how many times this occurs throughout our lifetimes.

When we’re facing a serious need for healing, it’s good to get a plan and deal with everything including our daily lives one day at a time. And we need to be committed to living each of those days to the fullest while not getting too far ahead of ourselves. We then deal with those things we can control and trust God for the rest. Healing can be both a physical and a mindful experience.

I’ve learned that pain is an expression of weakness leaving the body. The prayers of others for strength and healing do indeed translate to God’s positive response in the body. And even those prayers for healing our mortal bodies during our last hours on this planet are answered with a new and completely restored spiritual body in the next eternal life where no pain, suffering or tears exist.