August 4: Back in the Paddle

Memorial Day weekend I threw my back out. The pain was terrible all day Sunday and through the night, and all day Monday. I spent some time Monday in a swimming pool in hopes of finding relief from the pain and stiffness, all to no avail. As I sat in my recliner that evening I let out a huge sneeze, at which time I both felt and simultaneously heard a “pop” in my lower back. I was immediately pain free and had full range of motion, having realigned whatever had been out of whack. The next morning the pain had returned and continued until the middle of the following week.

After feeling okay for about four days, on Father’s Day it was “dejavu all over again”. As I reached down to pick up a microphone at church I heard the crack and couldn’t stand upright. A week of muscle-relaxers, pain killers, anti-inflammatories and heating pads followed. No lifting, anything, not even a newspaper. No driving. Grounded. That was followed by X-rays and over a month of physical therapy with heat packs, stretching my back muscles and learning and doing exercises to strengthen my core. So that’s been my summer vacation. Not quite what I planned.

Unable to go kayaking since April 24—it’s been a long, bleak “winter of the soul” this summer. So yesterday was my first real day of freedom. A couple of friends and I went kayaking in the Great Dismal Swamp and out into Lake Drummond. Nine miles of paddling to take my rehabbed back for a test drive. We had a blast. Even the blazing heat could not evaporate the sheer gratitude of being out on the water.

So today I’ve been thinking a lot about strengthening one’s “core”. Saturday morning TV is filled with advertisements and infomercials hawking diets, machines and exercise equipment to strengthen the core abdominal and back muscles. What about the real core—the “heart”, the soul, the spirit? What’s being done to strengthen those things?

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.
Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.
Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”
(Proverbs 4:23-27, NIV)

Godly advice instructs us to "guard our heart"--not the organ that pumps blood, but our beliefs, values...our faith. Avoid giving in to temptation, work on controlling your tongue, and practice spiritual discipline and focus in order to protect your “heart”, the core of your spiritual being. Just as we give attention to our physical well-being, we need to make our spiritual health and well-being a priority also.

“Above all else…”, the highest priority, is to guard your heart. Don’t allow people or circumstances to sour you, or derail your pursuit of living to please God. How is that done?

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or worthy of praise—let your mind dwell on these things…the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)

~ Father, guide me as I make developing my spiritual “core” my highest priority. Amen.