PHYSIO DIZZIO
Here is a riddle for you: What goes, "Creak, pop, ouch! Creak, pop, ouch! Creak, pop, ouch!" Give up? The answer is my left shoulder.
Last week I spent some time in a hospital emergency room (for another health- related issue - yep, I'm falling apart!) While waiting for the return of a few tests so I could hopefully go home, I took the liberty to ask the doctor checking me out to look at my shoulder.
My shoulder had been bothering me in a big way for the last couple of months, but our family doctor has moved out of family practice leaving us in physician-transition. So, instead of going to an emergency room to wait an extremely lengthy, indefinite, non-decrypt, but incredibly frustrating period of life-span, I decided to do what most men do in such situations - I ignored the problem and waited for it to either go away or kill me.
Looking back on it now, that may not have been the wisest of moves. It seems that I have tendonitis in my left rotary cup and if I don't do something about it, I will end up with a frozen shoulder and surgery.
The doctor who looked after me was incredible. It turns out that he knew Sheila, my wife. They were both in the same high school band. Small world, eh?! (But I wouldn't want to paint it!) Unfortunately, he doesn't have an office (sigh), but he was able to give me a referral so I could get physio.
Well, this week, I found out that if I had called one week earlier, my physio would have been covered by OHIP, our provincial health plan. Now, because of cutbacks, (or is that kickbacks?) I have to pay - yet another ouch! The physio isn't too bad for the most part, but there are two exercises with towels that just about make me pass out with the pain. It requires that I grab a towel with my left hand behind my back and pull the towel up and hold my arm in the hammer-lock from hell position for 15 seconds at a time. Just before the room spins and I start to sob uncontrollably in front of the rest of the patients, I am allowed to rest for a second until I have to repeat it again a total of five times.
Now, I don't consider myself a wimp. I've had several stitches scenarios in my life and I've even cut the end of my thumb off! I laugh at pain. Actually it is more of an uncomfortable chuckle of fear, but still, it looks a lot like laughing. But, I have to tell you, this towel of torture thing is beyond description. Still, I can, through the inward screams and sobs, notice that it is helping my flexibility. Hopefully physio will be all I need, but we will have to wait and see. Some prayers from your end, would be appreciated. After all, a pastor needs a shoulder to cry on, not one to cry about!
OK, what has God been teaching
me about this experience?
First, I am beginning to realize that this problem started longer ago that I first considered. It has been really bad for the last couple of months, but I can now see signs of its onslaught perhaps as much as a year or two ago. I just got used to the stiffness, thinking it was a normal part of growing old. That made me begin to think about other things in my life. What else do I ignore or put up with as "normal"? It isn't a particularly nice question to ask oneself! After all, as Christians, we aren't supposed to be normal. We aren't supposed to ignore problems, temptations, sins. We are to live redeemed lives of joy under the Lordship of Christ. There is nothing "normal" about that kind of life!
Second, I have realized that stiffness comes from a life that refuses to look at the facts and do what is necessary to maintain flexibility. It comes from our unwillingness to change and adapt. It is bad enough for me to face the possibility of a frozen shoulder. I sure wouldn't want to face the reality of a frozen faith! I want a flexible faith. By flexible faith, I mean a faith that remains true to that which is unchanging, but which is also growing and vital and dangerous. How flexible (gracious) is my faith? How easily do I adapt to the new directions and opportunities the Lord places before me?
Finally, I realize that if I am going to regain my flexibility and lessen my ongoing pain, I am going to have to do some exercises that will, for the short term, hurt a lot! Major pain for the short-term so that I can regain my strength and flexibility. I am finally ready to pay that price for my shoulder. I would hope I have always been ready to pay the same price to gain greater spiritual strength and insight. Short-term pain always has big payoffs in God's economy.
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)
If you have any comments or questions, click on my name at the bottom of this page and I promise to write you back.
