Back Onto It

Ministerial Meandering

Back onto it

Horse or bicycle - we have all fallen off at one time or another, and looked at the offending beast or heap of metal as though it was responsible for our loss of balance or control.  Of course, some ‘accidents’ are out of our control - such as when someone else’s horse runs a red light and piles into you - but I use the quotation marks to emphasize that these are not ‘accidents’, but always someone’s fault.

So when you have finished burying their body (which may occasionally have to be the body of your own ego), it is time to remove the blame from your equine or metallic partner and swing back into the saddle.

This is not quite the easy leap it might appear, as many of these crashes may be emotional and not physical - and they may be from many years ago.  Such events are often buried deep into our subconscious, so that we hope they never see the light of day again.

The problem we face then is that we live our lives in fear of ever facing a trigger that would cause the buried monsters to resurface.  They become our phobias.  You know the type; “Oh, I can’t travel in trains/planes/cars - I can’t go in a lift/elevator - I can’t walk across a bridge/look down from a height”.  All these things restrict our movement, and our everyday enjoyment of life.

At some point - if we want to have any quality of life at all - we are going to have to face our phobias and deal with them.

I am sure that I am not the only surgeon in the world who, having had a disaster on the operating table, is fearful - almost to the point of paralysis - of ever tackling a complex case again.  That is such a waste.  So is neglecting or selling your horse or bicycle.  Sweat dries, bleeding stops, bones mend; and with appropriate help, we can get better from what has traumatized our minds and spirits.

Most of my professional life has been in the healing business - largely the physical side for the first 40 working years, but now more on the mental and spiritual side.  One of attributes I bring to my work is the fact that I am scarred myself.  It is one of the advantages of being 75 years old.  Having sustained a fair few knocks and bruises - both mentally and physically - allows me to empathize with those of you who might feel you are the ‘only one’ who can possibly have experienced what you are going through.

Getting back on your horse will initially be a daunting business, but it is worth the effort.  Consider the example we have been set; if Jesus had not picked himself up mentally and spiritually after fear got hold of him in the Garden of Gethsemane, he would not have gone to the cross.  If he had not picked himself up physically after he fell on the way to Golgotha, we might not have had the lessons of the Crucifixion, or the triumph of the Resurrection  - though I suspect God had it all in hand.

The point is that facing our fears, picking ourselves up after a fall or emotional collapse, are crucial to our healing as the whole people God wants us to be.  Remember, your demons only chase you when you run.

Philip+