Here is your monthly dose of spirituality from Minister Crystal L. Cochren of My Faith and Fitness.
“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.”
~ Jeremiah 17:14 (KJV)
February is National Heart Health Month. Heart disease is the number one killer of women and is more deadly than all forms of cancer…combined. I have been wearing my red dress pin all month. I even made a point to wear red on National Wear Red Day. The perfect storm of events caused me to start taking my health seriously. Before my husband and I joined a gym in early April 2012, I lived a sedentary life. I practice law during the day. So, I am either sitting in my office reading and typing or sitting in court waiting for my cases to be heard. Before I joined the gym, during the evening, I would usually crochet something to sell in my online boutique. I was taking medications for high blood pressure and cholesterol. Also, I had FOUR of the risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight and physical inactivity. No bueno. Because of my healthy and fit lifestyle, I increased my HDL (good) numbers for my cholesterol. As a shortcut, I remember it as “H” in HDL for Healthy and “L” in LDL as Lethal. We want our LDL numbers to be low.
Sometimes, in our focus on the physical aspects of heart health, we fail to remember the emotional aspects of our hearts. Many of us have experienced abuse, neglect and rejection. The abuse may have taken the form of a physical, emotional, spiritual or sexual assault. The perpetrators were usually someone we knew and trusted. For instance, statistics show that most sexual assaults on women are committed by a person who the woman knows. Others of us have lived with domestic violence during our formative years, either as victims or witnesses. Our mothers may have gotten beaten by our fathers or father figures. Our fathers may have gotten beaten by mothers or mother figures. Perhaps, our parents used to fight each other, both of them equally culpable of giving out the violence. We may have been involved in intimate relationship where we were abused. Maybe as children, we were abandoned and rejected by those we loved and trusted. We grew up in one or more foster homes with no one to love us.
After we become adults, after the bones heal and the physical damage fades away, we are left to deal with emotional scars on our hearts, minds and spirits. In our attempt to self medicate, we abuse alcohol, drugs and other substances. We may have even attempted suicide on one or more occasions. If we do not believe in God, one of the reasons that we do not is because we think that if God existed, God would have prevented those horrific things from happening to us. If we believe in God, we wonder why God allowed those horrible things to take place. I cannot answer that question. Christians like to quote scripture and tell us how “all things work together…” That scripture is true. However, we need more than a scripture quoted to us in passing to enjoy emotional healing and restoration. Only God can heal us of such deep emotional wounds.
I encourage you today to seek God to begin or continue the process of receiving complete healing and restoration for your heart. God wants us to be whole in all aspects of our beings. God loves us and wants best for us. Place your faith and trust in God. Be blessed as you increase your focus on your spiritual and emotional health. Remain encouraged.
