NxtGen Energy

“But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.”  And the woman was made well from that hour.”  Matthew 9:22 (NKJV)

Have you ever read the account in the Bible of the woman who had a chronic health problem and she sought out Jesus for healing?  You can read about it in the book of Matthew, chapter 9, verses 20 through 22.  This woman who had been sick for twelve years fought her way through the crowd to reach Jesus.  As soon as she touched him, she was healed.  But it was a fight getting to her healing.

In my Energy 101 class, there are people all types of people in various levels of physical fitness.  Some are very fit and come to my class to compliment other forms of exercise they enjoy throughout the week.  Some have chronic health problems that they are struggling against like high blood pressure, arthritis, obesity, injuries from car accidents, and other health issues.  Some have debilitating illnesses like sickle cell anemia.  But everyone in the class is fighting for the same thing:  wellness.  And I think that they are going to win.

Why do I believe that?  I believe that they have already decided in their own mind that wellness belongs to them.  Instead of just accepting what they were given or diagnosed with and settling into the anxiety and fear that often follows, they have decided to be well.

Some people think that “thinking won’t make it so”.   But I have evidence to the contrary.   As I have watched the people in my class change, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well, I think that we can think ourselves into wellness.   How?  The first step is believing that you can be well and that God wants you to be well.  Then, ask God for wellnes.  Next,  start making “wellness” choices like:  choosing to eat food that promotes healing and wellness, choosing to get enough sleep, choosing to listen to and talk about positive things, choosing to exercise.

And over time, as you fight for it, you begin to change from the inside out.

“take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get.”  — George Bernard Shaw

Recently, I had the privilege of traveling as a team member on a Mission Trip to Haiti.   Our team of fourteen people had been sent out of Trinity Church (Miami, Florida) to the Mission of Hope in Titanyen, Haiti.  During our time there, we were able to work at the Mission of Hope’s medical clinic, travel to nearby orphanages to provide medical care, and also do some light construction work around the site.

In that part of the country, there is no water treatment or wastewater treatment, nor is there any garbage pick-up.  We had electricity in the evenings, sparse internet, and little running water.  We drank bottled water and cooked with it.  Because of the lack of sanitary conditions, we mostly ate peanut butter, crackers, canned tuna, and other canned goods.  There was no grocery store or corner pharmacy.  We faithfully downed our malaria pills.

Every evening after dinner was “family time.”   We played card games, read books, and just talked.  One of the many things we talked about was how we were going to live our lives when we returned to the United States.   After what we had seen and experienced, we knew that we would be viewing our lives from a new perspective.

What I realized about myself was that with all of the resources, conveniences, opportunities, and choices that I have, I can chose to live a peace-filled life.  I can go to the grocery store or restaurant and select the healthiest food for me.  I can exercise. I can buy products from businesses that support environmental sustainability.  And I can use less of everything.

I don’t have to just talk about it.  I can take control of myself and make the best choices for me daily.   The choices that I have the power to make right now will impact my health in the future, my family in the future, and my community in the future.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

Meditation is an activity that helps me stay focused, stay hopeful, and stay positive.  My natural tendency under stress is to become anxious and agitated.  Rather than being able to work through that stressful situation, the anxiety just makes me less effective.  Meditation helps me counteract the natural tendency of my anxious thoughts to tell my brain “we are going down!!!”, which then leads my brain to tell my heart to race, my stomach to churn, and my appetite to disappear.  It’s an exhausting cycle.  Knowing that about myself, convinced me to try meditation as a brain exercise. Just like I exercise my muscles to become stronger and more resilient, meditation trains my brain to become more resilient to stress or perceived negative situations.

For instance, if I am working on a project, the deadline is looming, and I am not making progress, my mind begins to be filled with all the possible ways that I will fail.   To counteract this, I just stop for a minute and take a deep breath.   As I exhale, I begin to remind myself that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV)  I let the words from that scripture begin to crowd out the thoughts of failure.

When I get up in the morning, I like to take at least 10-20 minutes to sit quietly by myself.  Not praying, not reading, and not talking, I just sit.  If a negative thought comes to my mind about the day, a meeting I have to go to, a conversation I have to have but am dreading or some other challenge, I just keep breathing and recite scriptures in my mind that counteract those negative thoughts.  Sometimes, I can sit quietly and enjoy the peace.  Other days, I may have to recite John 14:27 (NIV), “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

I have found that the 10-20 minutes I spent meditating leads to a better day when I step out my front door.  And if something comes up during the day that I really did not want or expect to happen, I just take a few minutes to exercise my brain with a brief meditation on what God has to say about my situation.

“And we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  2 Corinthians 10:5b (NIV)