Alignment

As many of you know, I had a lot of problems with my back in the month of January. I popped a rib out of place somehow in worship… Don’t ask how! (I may have been jumping and dancing a little too crazy) Anyway, I am feeling a LOT better! Praise God! Tons of people have been faithfully praying for me and I believe that God is answering those prayers! I have also been going to the chiropractor, Dr. Parker, to keep everything in place. The Lord has taught me a lot about what it means to be aligned.

My flesh WILL be uncomfortable while I give up all control and invite the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do in my life. My back and my heart have a lot in common. No matter how IN PLACE and IN LINE my heart is one day the next day it will be OUT OF PLACE and OUT OF LINE. It’s very confusing to leave the chiropractor because my back usually feels worse right after I am adjusted. I asked Dr. Parker about it and he explained to me how when he sets my ribs and spine back IN place my muscles (FLESH) do not immediately follow. They are used to the prior spot and will actually end up trying to PULL my back OUT once again. The Holy Spirit really spoke to me in that moment on how it’s also true with my heart. I can invite Jesus to align my heart to His and then my FLESH (my thoughts, my feelings, my laziness, my pride, etc…) will PULL against it wanting comfort and things to be how they have always been. “There is no good in me apart from Him.” (Psalm 16:2) I NEED HIM TO ALIGN ME!

In life, it is tempting to try to align MYSELF, to try to fix myself, or to deal with my sin and pain on my own because I’m tired or just “don’t have time” to go to the Father. Just like I have been tempted to try to put my own back in place because I don’t want to drive and pay money to go to the chiropractor. It’s also easy to just run to PEOPLE with my pain and ask them to “give me advice” or in other words “pop my back real fast” … When I truly need to run to my Healer FIRST! A lot of times when I run to other things I end up making the problem worse!

It has been very humbling being limited physically and if I need so badly for my back to consistently adjusted and aligned, how much more does my heart need it? To be honest, it has been easy with how busy my schedule is here at Teen Mania to get frustrated on days when I cannot get out of bed because of the pain. I can feel offense rising in my heart towards the Lord because “I just want to be healed so that I can be more effective in ministry.” The very fact that my focus is on myself and not on my Creator is just the beginning of the problem. My eyes need to get off of myself! I’m thankful for the Holy Spirit’s role in my life to continue to be so patient with me and adjust things in my life and heart that need adjusting so that I can be aligned with His will.

“You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your RIGHT HAND supported me, and your GENTLENESS made me great.” (Psalm 18:35)

 His right hand supports me. His gentleness is what makes me great. Since the chiropractor knows how the spine works and how to help, I am completely at peace when he is pushing and moving things. I trust him to do what is for my best. I want the same to be true of my trust in the Lord with my ENTIRE LIFE. That I KNOW that His ways are higher than my own. (Isaiah 55:9) I want to be completely at peace as He reveals things that at first are uncomfortable for me, but in the long run will prove to be for my best. I am so thankful that God can see the BIG PICTURE even when I can’t.

Basically, I am learning that it is a best place to be in the hands of the GREAT physician! He knows what we need before we ask! He sees the X-ray of what is UNDER what we can see on the surface. I'm very thankful for that.