Oct 20, 2025 – Emotions
As I sat down at the computer with my coffee, I reminded myself that I should start the day with my PT exercises. I could have given myself some reasons why I could put that off, one of them being that I wanted to go ahead and spend time with God and write this blog before the day interrupted me; but, I know that, as important as my time with God is, the PT to get my arm moving again is right up there too.
It’s not like I only have to do one set in the morning and one in the afternoon and therefore have plenty of time to fit in two sessions during my waking hours. My therapist said, “You could do these exercises 1000 times a day and it wouldn’t be too much.” I’m taking his words to heart, and not cheating down to 500 or maybe 250 ha ha, because one day last week, as he was stretching my arm and telling me that pain is OK (while telling someone else at another table to stop when it hurts), he said, “You’re not where you should be at this point.”
Needless to say that was confusing to me, especially based on the “you should hurt while the other guy shouldn’t” comment. I spent the first three weeks babying my arm only to find out I hadn’t babied it enough, so I babied it even more. Even when they started moving my arm, they said, “Do this but don’t do that;” so, by the time I was on my own at home trying to do their exercises, there was a lot of doubt about technique especially when the pain made it feel like I was popping loose all of my repaired tendons.
After I dutifully did my pendulums this morning (that I finally figured out how to do), and pressed softly against the door jams, I carefully placed my arm up on the pillow on the table and began the stretching exercise pushing my pillow back and forth with my good arm (even though the surgery arm was saying don’t go so far or just please stop). I began thinking about how this really is a good metaphor for how we tend to protect ourselves in life.
The therapists gently push because they don’t want my shoulder to freeze up. Neither do I. I wouldn’t think it was possible except for my experience with my right knee a few years ago. Our Great Pyrenees, Ranger, bumped into my leg around Christmas time and it hurt a lot, so I began putting a pillow up under my knee at night to protect it. I also limped a lot and did (or didn’t do) whatever else along the way that, by spring, made me feel like my knee was really injured. I finally went to the doctor assuming that I would be facing knee surgery eventually, only to find out that I had babied my knee so much, and protected it from the pain so much, that I’d frozen my knee and had to go through months of therapy with them working to get my knee straightened out again. No surgery needed.
If that’s not a metaphor for how we protect ourselves and our emotions from perceived, or actual, hurt I don’t know what is. Even if you can’t see this in your own life (perhaps a little denial here – I do understand), think about someone that you’ve been watching or talking with or praying for who is wallowing in something that you know they could work through and get past. Yes, I know it’s not that easy; but, actually, that’s what we think (for their own good) as we watch people suffer beyond when we think they should be. Certainly, we should go through things rather than avoid them and there are emotions and coping that go along with that; but, if we stay there past the healthy point, it’s not living.
JC – Well well. I don’t quite know how to take Jesus Calling today. I guess I’ll just copy the words and see if you will also think the message is funny. I guess it’s actually a funny reality. So here it goes, “I am your living God, far more abundantly alive than the most vivacious person you know. The human body is wonderfully crafted but gravity and the inevitable effects of aging weigh it down.” Of course I get the message here, but I just thought it was funny that aging is also the message.
“Even the most superb athlete cannot maintain his fitness over many decades. Lasting abundant life can be found in me alone. Do not be anxious about the weakness of your body. Instead, view it as the prelude to My infusing energy into your being.” The message, to me, is about living our lives abundantly as we age, despite weaknesses and surgeries, which is possible because of Christ in us. “As you identify more and more fully with Me, My Life becomes increasingly intertwined with yours. Though the process of aging continues, inwardly you grow stronger with the passing years. Those who live close to Me develop an inner aliveness that makes them seem youthful in spite of their years. Let My Life shine through you, as you walk in the light with Me.”
This makes me think of something that Don and I were talking about yesterday. He’s so good about telling me how beautiful he thinks I am in so many different ways. Uplifting words can really bring out beauty as the person receives them. Speaking positives aloud is not only good for the hearer but it also reinforces those feelings in the speaker (like how we feel about God when we praise Him). I always tell Don what he sees in me is a reflection, which is really true because we exude joy when we feel loved and appreciated, and I think even more so when we give love and appreciation.
It’s something I have noticed through the years, perhaps you have too, that somebody who went unnoticed when they were single, somehow becomes more attractive when they’re in a relationship. I know that’s not across the board, but it is in theory. We are instinctively attracted to happy people and, if you’re in a happy relationship, that comes across in how you carry yourself and in your eyes being brighter and in your outlook on things. We can also tell when people are in bad relationships (or work situations etc) by how they carry themselves. So, it stands to reason that, as we allow the Holy Spirit to have more influence in our lives (whether we are in “good” earthly relationships or not), His joy and confidence will shine through us, which is what attracts others to find out the reason for that joy and confidence.
Power – Romans 12:11 – “Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.” Aglow is that joy that shines from people who are serving, and content in their relationship with, the Lord. “The Bible instructs us to be zealous and enthusiastic as we serve the Lord. God instructs us to be enthusiastic and burning with zeal even when He chastises or corrects us (See Revelation 3:19). Why…? Simply because He expects us to trust that everything He does is for our ultimate good. Good emotions come from good decisions and good thoughts. Don’t get up each day and wait to see how you feel….set your mind in the right direction ahead of time and make decisions you know will produce emotions you can enjoy.” In The Let Them Theory, Mel Robbins has an interesting section about emotions and what they really are. Seriously. It’s nothing new though because it’s out there for anyone to have found, but I had an ah ha moment (in how to handle emotions) as she read to me near the end of Chapter 7 when it shows 6 hours 49 min left in the book.
Prevail #293 – Larson talks about a health battle she had that included a relapse which lasted about three years. She writes, “God whispered to my heart one day, ‘The storms reveal the lies we believe and the truths we need.’ That began a battle to uproot the lies I believed and replaced them with the truths I needed. I fasted, prayed, cried out to God. I meticulously followed doctor’s orders. I curled up in a ball in my dark bedroom and watched sermon after sermon. I hung on for dear life because I know God, and I knew He’d come for me. And He did…. We like to dream about the big things God might do through us. And we should. But dare to believe that God will use every enemy attack on your life to transform you into a warrior you never dreamed you could be.” Until next time….
Romans 8:28
