Most of the things I remember in life were set to a song when I was growing up. My dad turned everything into a song, and now I do the same thing when I’m working with kids. I’m amazed when kids share their trauma narrative by spontaneously composing their own recovery songs. Music is a powerful tool that God uses to heal the soul. Yesterday I visited my spirited friend Oscar and discovered that everything he was learning was set to a song. Music has a way of etching our memory over time so that we retain what we’ve learned. When I was a teenager growing up in Pennsylvania, our church used to sing a song with this refrain: “I am complete in Him.” These inspired words from the Apostle Paul have been etched in my mind for my entire life. They communicate the truth that we only find completion and wholeness in the person of Jesus Christ.
My guess is that most people won’t read my blog today because I didn’t use a hip or catchy title or a cool picture to sell it. Pursuing wholeness isn’t popular. Why not? Because it requires us to give up our comfort zones. My life was padded with comforters. In our pursuit of wholistic health, we’ve changed what we eat and drink. We’ve changed our lifestyles. We’ve changed our toothpaste, toothbrush, cleaning, laundry products, hair care products, and deodorant. We sit in the sun every day and ground with our bare feet. Kombucha, fruit-and-veggie-packed kefir probiotic shakes, and sourdough bread are our daily staples. Sugar, microwaves, TV, LED lights, processed foods, junk food, and pop hit the curb a long time ago in our pursuit of health. Our clothing and bed sheets even got swapped out for healthier materials. What we listen to, watch, and read have substantially changed over time. Why? Because what you feed grows, and what you starve dies. I drink enough water each day to float a boat! Why? Because I have to flush out my body each day of all of the toxins that want to destroy it. Polyester, pesticides, processed foods, pop tarts, and pop are like cuss words in our home. I used to think eating ho-ho’s was the best thing in the world. I don’t even remember how good they used to taste because it’s been so long since I’ve tasted one. Our kitchen cannisters that used to be full of Oreos and sugars and flour are now full of healthy raw nuts to snack on. But what does gut health have to do with becoming whole? Ask my wife.
My incredible wife has invested the past four years of her life in pursuit of learning about healing, health, and wholeness. Systematic transformation is probably the best word to describe the changes taking place in our lives. I am a recovering comfort-seeking pessimist. I’ve belly-ached and complained way too much these past years, as my comfort-seeking pads have been removed. I don’t understand it all, but I trust my wife. She’s looking out for our health, and she let me know that it all starts with gut health. I’m not sure that I know exactly what that means, but she tells me “Don’t ask” when I inquire about all of the ingredients that she dumps into my morning probiotic shakes. Most of them probably fall into my old category of “don’t touch” and “don’t eat” or “scary.”
How do you go from “that’s crazy” to “wow”? We haven’t been to the doctor since we began pursuing wholistic health. If you’re a radical skeptic like I was, I’ve come to believe that becoming whole in Christ impacts every part of our lives. While the 5G towers are popping up everywhere and zapping our bodies with electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) that are destroying the very cells that once brought us health, we’re investing in EMF shields and protectors to neutralize the zappers. How crazy and radical does that sound? Now I have more energy, and I’m sleeping better. How can you argue with that?
When I’m counseling families, I tell parents that kids can get used to anything—big kids too. I haven’t died from giving up chips, Doritos, 2% milk, cookies, and the plethora of junk that I used to daily ingest into my body. What I discovered is that our bodies will ask for whatever we give them. When you feed yourself healthy foods and drinks and God’s Word, and when you give your body its proper rest, you’ll become “regulated” and fuel off of life-giving truth and be “refreshed” by holy rest. When Jesus invites us to come to Him to find rest for our souls, everything begins to fall into place. Jesus said that His food is to do God’s will and to complete it. When we get our life from Jesus and from doing His will, we will begin to look for and to see God’s Spirit working everywhere and will discover ways to engage in His life-changing work. There’s plenty to go around for all of us.
Don’t compare your health or life to the person next to you. Each person is on a journey. We’re either getting healthier or sicker. If you listen to the messages of what the world is telling us that we have to have or to do, you will become sick and toxic. If you allow God to detox you each day, what He feeds you will satisfy your soul. Jesus’ love is the only eternal source of lasting health. The love of Christ will compel you to do what makes no sense to the rest of the world. Do it anyway for God’s glory.
I once was a discipleship pastor and therapist who had no clue about all of the toxins and poisons living in my body and in my home. God has taken me on a journey of surrender that’s every bit as spiritual as the day that I said “yes” to Jesus. He keeps getting better, and the best is yet to come. If you want to learn more about pursuing wholeness, just leave a comment and maybe my editor (wife) will become a blogger. Enjoy your journey.
I’d love to learn more!!