Recently, as I was going through a few things I came across some past journal writings and one in particular that I thought I would share here. At the time of writing, I had just finished reading an autobiography that I had ordered from the Public Library. I had written down a quote from the book that read...“I tell my children about the balance of our human elements: physical, social, emotional, and spiritual, by comparing it to the four legs of a chair. One of the legs on your chair can become weak and break, and, chances are, you will still be able to keep yourself upright by balancing your weight over the other three legs. But if one leg breaks and the other legs of the chair are so weak they just give way, you will find yourself on the floor…the breaking of the “physical” leg only exposed the weakness in other parts of my life.”
Because I think so visually, this painted a picture to me that made so much sense; it is an accurate description of what happened to me so many years ago. At that particular time, I had no idea that it was really the "spiritual leg" that was the first to be broken...this having its origins way back in the garden when through one man all mankind fell. No, at the time that I was experiencing physical unwellness, I thought it was the "physical leg" that was the first to go in my life, the ramifications of which was then the social and then the emotional.
It was during this period of time that "it pleased the Father to reveal His Son in me" and in so doing caused me to know that the only “leg” I had at that particular time to stand on was truly and ultimately the spiritual, and that in the Person of Jesus Christ. It is the strength of this “leg” that maintains the balance of the other three…what a sad story it would have been if I had, at the very beginning, been granted my prayer for physical healing. It would have deprived me of the deeply planted roots of intimacy and dependency upon the Lord.
Although the author of the biography stated that she herself had rebuilt the legs of her particular chair, I know that it is The Carpenter Himself, the Lord and the Lord alone that rebuilds and fashions me and gives my life, my particular chair, strength and balance. He has taught and shown me what it means to have a strong “spiritual leg” … many of the lessons have been very hard as I learned to depend and trust in Him, yet I have always known that He is present with me and I have always known His love towards me, even in the darkest of times. His Word has ministered to me time after time as I continue to study and allow Him to implant into my heart all that He would have me know. He longs to have intimacy with His children and I so enjoy these times, being able to bring to Him all that is upon my heart, joys and sorrows, questions and praise and to know His good pleasure in it. Yes, having a strong “spiritual leg” was the Lord’s intent for me... and how loving He was to make sure that at the outset, I did not have any other leg on which to lean!
Little by little, over the years I have experienced the strengthening of my “physical leg”. I believe with all my heart that this area is to be, as all others, dedicated to the Lord, so that my physical health is used to His glory and purposes. I have written in the front of my Bible, as a gentle reminder to myself, that I am "Healed, for His purposes". I take great joy in what the Lord has done in me, and may this grateful child never take it for granted!
The “social leg” of my chair is an interesting one for me as I watch people flow in and out of my life...at this present time on the Kingdom calendar, the flow has caused my cup to surely "runneth over" as my family, friends and my circle of sisters beautifully expands. Because I love to garden I have frequently likened those that the Lord brings into my life as flowers; there are the perennials, who year after year faithfully bloom and add beauty and dimension, colour and fragrance to my life. Then there are the annuals, the ones that stick around for only a season, but explode with colour and life and add to the over all joy of the garden. Sometimes, there are those that come and go and then joy upon joy, return again, perhaps not with the same burst of colour as at the first, but a beauty to behold nonetheless! Of course, the truly constant ones are my family, my husband and our children (all four of them!). My prayer will always be that for all who make up the garden of my life, that I would be faithful and a blessing to them in their particular gardens as well.
Then comes my emotional state of being…the “fourth leg” of my chair. When the spiritual, and physical and social legs are built up and in place, I believe that the emotional aspects of living are far less overwhelming, however, although it is great to have the physical and social legs functioning well, I know that these two are not always guaranteed in life. How important it is then, to do all that we can do to take care of the bodies that God has given to us and not abuse them through lack of exercise, poor nutrition or lack of sleep, to name a few! Equally important, is the care of our social needs, the interaction and participation in the lives of others! Including others and establishing friendships, pouring into their lives and allowing them room to do the same into ours. I know that when I am physically exhausted or unwell or if I have been neglectful of enjoying the company of others, this is when emotions can begin to whirl and cause a tumult within me. I remember teaching a class years ago on the role that the Holy Spirit has in the lives of Christians; God never intended for our emotions to dominate, but rather that the Holy Spirit would have dominion in our lives. It is so important, and healthy to be able to acknowledge those attutudes, emotions, and musings of our hearts; to give voice to what is actually going on inside of us and not to push them away or disassociate ourselves from them.
The safest place to do this is before God, allowing Him to sort through them all. I believe that the Lord uses our emotions, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to set us free. The Psalms are a great illustration of this - as the Psalmist pours out his heart to God, coming to Him and honestly presenting what is on his heart, whether distress or joy, confusion or confidence, God Himself ministers to him, and as he empties himself he is able to see God even more clearly. Sometimes the best place to begin is simply with the words, "O God....", this one phrase alone begins many of the Psalms and seems to be the key that unlocks the floodgates of the heart and makes smooth the way of the Lord to begin to minister to us by His Holy Spirit. Just thought I would share!
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