An Update On My Chiropractic Journey

After contacting someone a friend told me about, things picked up. As it stands, someone else I have communicated with wanted my permission to share my story with some of her colleagues. She is coming over the house next week to meet Mom and me. We will see where it goes, but thank God for friends, and for people who take the time to try to help others! 

To Truly Love

We met in the fifth grade, and spent all of middle school together. We saw each other in high school, but after I left public school in the beginning of ninth grade, I didn't talk with *Sean* for a long time. Then I wrote him a letter of apology for all the trouble I caused in years past, and he replied by letter. The friendship resumed, and he even came over to the apartment where we lived twice. I moved to Maine, but still kept in touch with him. At times, however, we passed through periods where we didn't talk to each other. Unfortunately, smooth-sailing has never characterized our relationship. Over the years, I've hurt him and he's hurt me.

Right now, it's one of those periods. I haven't talked with Sean for a few years. We texted  quite a bit, and finally I wrote him a friendly letter, which included something about him writing me for a change (I had seen however much of the documentary Captivated around this time, and I wrote about that, even quoting from the back of the case as far as I remember). I never heard from him again, either through texting or mail. People have told me there was nothing wrong with what I did. I don't know for certain why he ignored me, what he thought or felt. Yet when I look back over the more recent past, I see failure on my part, failure to be a true Christian, a true friend, yet again.

It's true that I could reach out to Sean if I wanted. After talking to more than one person, however, I've decided to leave him alone this time. I can't say that joy filled me when I made that decision. I wanted to reach out again, wanted to make wrongs right, wanted him in my life again.

 But what if I ended up hurting Sean more by reconnecting? What if that helped lead him to turn his back on God, and eventually experience eternal death? True, he will have made those decisions. True, the strong act independently of the example of others when it comes to matters of life and death, but many people don't possess that kind of strength. Whatever I do about him will affect not only him, but also others as well, in ways I cannot tell. God alone knows all the damage I've caused others, and I don't need to cause anymore.

"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." John 15:12. The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 15:3, "For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me." Jesus lived for His Father's glory and for others' good. Love motivated Him to do what was best from that standpoint, no matter what He experienced.

Love led Him to suffer for us, to endure pain and unpleasantness so we could be redeemed. "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17. This means, then, that I must serve my friend the best I can, even if it hurts me. At this moment, that means staying away. I know that God is working to save Sean right now, just as He is working to save me. I know He can reunite us when He sees best.

And I know that He will give me the grace to do this, to truly love, come what may.

Worth It

Right now, it feels like I'm coming up against walls in life. Dead ends.

For instance, in the past I've been to see an Upper Cervical chiropractor in Yarmouth, ME. (Let me explain here that UC chiropractors are different from other chiropractors). I don't live in southern Maine, so it's a drive to get there. I've reached out to people in my town and another about UC. After all, it would be nice if there were one closer to me. One person I emailed about public transportation to Yarmouth. Some people have responded, some not at all. The status? There isn't an UC chiropractor nearby, or anything being done to get one nearby. I haven't heard about transportation. A wall.

I've also tried to join a website so I could make Seventh-day Adventist friends around my own age. That hasn't worked out. Another wall.

It's not pleasant. And yet, if I can learn from all of this, praise God. May the first issue teach me, if anyone needs my help, to put myself in their place as much as I can, and to help them as much as I can. May it teach me to be that considerate, compassionate, empathetic person I want others to be to me. May I learn to appreciate that God has a plan, even though it may be very different from what I think of, and that it is a good plan.

From the second, let me learn to trust my Father in heaven more fully. He may be keeping me from harm as far as this website goes. Let me learn to appreciate the many friends He has given me through my time sitting in a convenience store. He didn't have to do that. I could have no friends at all. Let me remember that there are others in situations like mine. If I can do nothing else, I can pray for them.

When all is said and done, the only thing that will matter is if I reflect the character of Jesus, my Saviour. If I'm more like Him by the end of all this, it will have been worth it.

Goodbye

Note: This doesn't mean I'm not blogging anymore.

"Goodbye."

"I think it's time to say goodbye."

Goodbye. A word that can be filled with sorrow, regret, and longing. Yet that word can have sweetness too, if we let it. The sweetness lies beneath the surface, in its origin. It is a word that comes from the 1500s and is a contraction of the phrase, "God be with you!" I'm not a person that likes to cut ties, to let go (at least not today). But when I let go of people and give them to my God, it's okay.

"The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works." Psalm 145:9.

"He that loveth not knoweth not God: for God is love." 1 John 4:7.

No matter where I am, no matter where my people are, He is watching over all of us. And so, to say "goodbye" (whether literally or not) can be a comforting thing, when we remember and embrace the expression it's short for. God be with you! What more could we want?

Blessings,
Jean

On Exercising

I have lived with my cerebral palsy from a very young age, but I have learned to adapt to the situation. When I could no longer use my naturally dominant right hand, I learned to use my left, and I even made good use of my head—literally. I adapted too much most of the time. Instead of seizing what therapy had to offer me, over the years I fought it, and slacked off, and quit.

Last year, I began to do something about my situation. If I had use of both my hands, I could achieve so much more. I know it is a blessing to be able to do what I can even now, but why should I stay so limited when I don't have to? I started with exercising at home, and then went for OT sessions, which continued into this year. My insurance covered only six visits, and I have one left (as of right now).

I'm not doing the best with the exercising, but what I am doing benefits my hand. My hand wasn't as good in the beginning as it is now, but I didn't quit, and I have seen physical improvement as a result. 

Proverbs 13:4 is true: "The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat."

If I hadn't seen any physical improvement, I would have at least improved my character by trying to do something worthwhile, and that's the better part of all of this. Character, just like mobility and strength, isn't gotten by sitting around and doing nothing. God sends us experiences which will perfect our characters if we let Him teach us through them, and perhaps I haven't been miraculously healed before now because I would have ended up with a good body but not a good character. I know that able-bodied people have formed wonderful characters in the experiences they have gone through, but what if I was able-bodied all of a sudden and failed to do that in my new circumstances? God knows best; and this is the schoolroom He decided to give me. May I be diligent, because even here that verse is right. "The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat."  

—Jean

A Daughter in Chains

Yes, and I helped to tighten them. When I was younger, I read a lot of "Christian" fiction. One of these books dealt with the persecution of Christ's followers in China, the main character being a young girl.[1] One of my friends really enjoyed the book, and at some point, it went from being mine to hers.

When in middle school, I gave away however many of my numerous novels to this same friend. I wasn't going to read them anymore. Sadly, I didn't care enough to loosen her chains as much as I could.

 
There is a sequel to this book, which I have never read. My friend to this day is still interested in the series, and has the second one. She still has those chains, even though I've shared how I look at the subject now. An influence on the wrong side exerts a strong force, and whose influence is it that has damaged so much? It's mine. By giving her those books, I haven't made it easier for my friend to have better thoughts and goals, but harder. I haven't made it easier for her to love the true more than the false, but harder. To this day I can see the bad effects of that decision, and I can't undo the past. What a horrible reality.

The good news is that she enjoyed a book about someone real on the same subject not too long ago. She saw something better, and how good it was. God bless it so that it can exert an even stronger influence than all the fiction in the world! May it exert an influence that will lead her to the Bible, the Book of books that speaks of the Saviour, for Whom many real Chinese people have suffered.

If you come to a point in your life where you realize a better way to live, but you have all these things from the old way of life, don't give it away! You may tighten somebody's chains if you do that, and they may never loosen. If you trash it, it might be the beginning of breaking them, which will bring them one step closer to sharing in your freedom.

 

God bless,

Jean

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[1] The title of this is not the title of the book

The State of the Dead

This year, I learned about a death that happened in the past, but less than half a decade ago. The individual was young when they passed, and after doing some investigation, I learned more about this sad affair. It has left wounds in the family, wounds that are not fully healed. It doesn't help that those left behind don't understand what happens after death. It wouldn't ease the loss, but it would help them to know where their dear one is. It would also allow them to make sense of any after death experiences, and keep them, if they chose, from danger. Maybe they will find this blog post somehow; but even if they don't, I can share the wonderful truth with you, whoever you might be.

 

Understanding what the soul is key to understanding the state of the dead. Genesis 2:7 makes this very clear. "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." These two things combined make "a living soul."

After sin, God told Adam, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Genesis 3:19. The Bible does not tell us that he would continue as some spirit entity once this had taken place. The book of Job gives us more insight in vv. 14-15 of chapter 34. Speaking of God, it says, "If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust."

 

Job also said, "And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be." Job 7:21. The psalmist David said, "Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;" Psalm 13:3. If you search the Old Testament, you will find many more references that refer to death in this way. Ecclesiastes 9:5 reads: "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten."

 If that isn't good enough for you, there is a passage in the New Testament, however, that makes the truth about death very certain. We find it in John 11:11-14:

 

"These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead."

 

How much clearer can it be? There are individuals who are in heaven right now; but they either never died, as in the cases of Enoch and Elisha, or they were resurrected. This was what happened to Moses and those spoken of in Matthew 27:52-53. All the other people are sleeping until Jesus raises them to life again. That means that there is no chance of your deceased relative communicating with you, and any supposed encounters with them are a deception. Demons watch us all the time and are able to impersonate us very well. They also hear what people say, so they have knowledge of the dead person's history.

 

As we can see, this truth is a lovely one. It is a safeguard, and it is some of the sweet in the bittersweet experience of death, because we don't have to wonder what is happening to our deceased relatives and friends. The privilege of eternal life adds even more sweetness. To think, one day we could be reunited with them forever! While this is possible, it is conditional.

 

What happens to those who were dead once they are resurrected is determined by each person's life. Sadly, someone who has rejected Jesus will be resurrected only to die again and stay resting in peace, not to burn forever. He would not be happy in God's presence, and even if God left him somewhere in the universe and made the spread of rebellion impossible, the person would be miserable forever. The way God deals with sin is a mercy.

 

If someone dies as a believer in Jesus, Jesus will resurrect him to live forever one day, in a place of complete safety and happiness. And though we will be safe and happy, we will be happily busy. "There every power will be developed, every capability increased. The grandest enterprises will be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations will be reached, the highest ambitions realized. And still there will arise new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the power of body and mind and soul." Ellen White, Education, p. 307.

We can do nothing about the destinies of the dead, but we can do something about ours. Which do you want?