The Big Thaw
Being middle-aged is a curious thing. My mind and spirit feel nearly as frisky as when I was thirty and newly married, but my body (and my mirror) bears witness to the fact that the years they are a-marching on. Last summer my left shoulder began to act up. First it was odd twinges when I’d make certain hand motions. Then my shoulder ached and burned whenever I lifted my arm above chest level, even to keep my hand on the top of the steering wheel. At other times there was blinding, stabbing pain strong enough I’d feel faint.
Of course I did the sensible thing: I began to baby that arm, to use it less and less, in order to give it a good rest. And sure enough, I was considerably more comfortable. But at some point, many weeks later, I realized that I could hardly move my left arm at all without excruciating pain. I couldn’t even put my hand into my jacket pocket! So finally I gave in and went off to see my physician. From the severity of my symptoms, she suspected a significant injury to the tendons and muscles that hold the shoulder together. She referred me to a surgical specialist, who did more tests. What he found was a massive inflammation but, surprisingly, no tear, no strain, no damage whatsoever. The diagnosis: a frozen shoulder. The joint that should have moved freely had simply locked in place through disuse.
Treatment was simple: Professional Torture. Excuse me, I mean physical therapy. My physical therapist, Alli, is top-notch. Twice a week, she stretches and presses and pulls that shoulder in various directions, always just to the point of extreme discomfort . . . then I go home with a set of exercises to do morning, noon and night until my next visit. I’ve regained almost 90% mobility and rarely even feel a twinge. But whenever I skip my exercises, even for 24 hours, I can feel that shoulder stiffen up again.
Here’s my point. It’s been my experience that things can get “frozen” in our spiritual lives, just as in our physical bodies. Something that should move freely and naturally just seems locked in place. It might be a relationship problem - some large or small offense that was never resolved, that now prevents us from having an open and loving connection with another person. It might be that we don’t feel able to connect with God, either in prayer or worship, so to avoid the spiritual discomfort, we cut short our prayer times and find more ‘relaxing’ things to do on Sunday mornings. It might be a spiritual gift or talent that we don’t even recognize because we haven’t used it in a long time – or because we have never had a chance to exercise it. Pain is an indication that something is not functioning the way it was intended. If we experience a significant injury, it might be necessary to take a short break. But we must not allow a brief and necessary rest period to turn into immobility - a “frozen” spirituality – either in our individual or our corporate lives. Just like going through physical therapy, we need to stretch, to lean into the discomfort, to exercise slack muscles and creaky joints – trusting in God the Holy Spirit to guide and renew us in this process.
First Pres went through a very difficult spring, followed by a season of catching our breath in the summer and fall. As winter moves into spring, I see more and more signs that the Big Thaw is well underway. There are fresh ideas, a refocusing of energy, people stepping forward to serve.
Dear friends, may God bless you for your commitment to our Lord, and your active involvement in his ministry through First Presbyterian Church. It is exciting to think of what God has in store for us, as each and every part of his Body here is working freely together just as he desires.
Pastor Sue
