Cradling my left arm in her hands, my physical therapist stretched my arm with gentle yet authoritative intent. Noticing the frown on my face, she asked, “Does that hurt?”“ Now that’s a loaded question,” I thought. “Not really,” I said, resisting the urge to unleash a series of expletives that would make a gang member blush. “It’s just stiffness,” I said, “nothing sharp.” “Ah,” she said, “the good kind of pain.”
Yeah, good pain.
Since I fractured my arm twice this year, I’ve begun learning the difference between “good” and “bad” pain. Good pain is the discomfort that accompanies stretching my weakened arm muscles. Bad pain is just what it says—sharp, eye-blinding pain that signals something is wrong.
Physical therapy can often bring both. But what I’ve learned is that stretching involves a delicate balance of tolerating a bit of pain so the muscle can regain function. We push a bit, but not too far. Sometimes that old muscle needs a tiny bit of encouragement.
This is just one of the spiritual lessons I’ve learned through physical therapy. I am coming to the belief that most of us over 60 should be automatically assigned a physical therapist if we want to maintain balance and mobility. But I’ve also learned something else.
Getting in touch with my body has also helped me grow spiritually. In fact, going to physical therapy has been a sort of spiritual discipline for me. I mean that sincerely. It has given me new perspectives and nurtured a new sense of hope within me.
Because PT takes place in an open clinic, the space becomes a community. In some ways, the clinic feels like a church. They know it is more than just a place to come and get what they need. It is a place to invest themselves in a community that seeks healing. The other day I heard someone talking about how she receives encouragement and support from both therapists and other patients. “It’s a community,” she said. “And who doesn’t need more community in their lives?”
Here’s a great example. Earlier today I met a young man at the clinic. He said to me, “Aren’t you the pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Wildwood?” He told me he remembered me from years ago when his family had attended Woodlawn Chapel. His memory of participating in youth group and attending worship was sharp, and we had a great conversation. I invited him to join us, though perhaps the most important part of the conversation was simply meeting each other in a space focused on healing.
Luke 13:10-17 tells the story of a woman who experience God’s gift of stretching. She entered a synagogue where Jesus was teaching and immediately attract Jesus’ attention. Luke adds a bit of mystery to the story, telling us she “appeared” without offering a clue about her background. We’re told she had been suffering for 18 years, bent over and unable to stand straight. Jesus invites us to be set free from that struggle, offering his touch and words of assurance. She stands up and begins praising God while also raising the ire of the authorities. They were none to happy with Jesus for healing her on the Sabbath.
Yet Jesus understood that within that community, many needed the freedom he brought. Not only does Jesus straighten the woman, he also calls upon those who were listening to begin stretching themselves in new, and perhaps painful, ways. Spiritually speaking, we need to stretch. We need the impetus to move the muscles of our faith in new ways. It will be painful at first, but soon we will be able to reach new directions and achieve new possibilities
Consider:
• Does stretching help you to find ways of loving God and your neighbor more deeply? Does it help you reject old prejudices, hatred, and rejection of others simply because they are different?
• Is God stretching your love to embrace people you have previously avoided? Do you ever find new ways to pray, read a book by an author I have mentioned in a sermon? Explore unfamiliar scripture passages by using one of the many great commentaries you’ll find in the church library?
Could you benefit from participating in a bit of spiritual rehab by investing in a our community, helping it to keep stretching, moving, and expanding our love for neighbors and God? How about inviting someone church whom you don’t know well to have a cup of coffee?
This fall, I invite you to see Sunday mornings as a critical part of our spiritual wellness plan. Come praise with us, come pray with us, come stretch with us.
Come heal and grow with us. God is calling us to be stretched, and I hope you’ll come and join us soon. The best part? Churches don’t charge a copay, and donuts are still just a buck.
Take care, and keep stretching — Chris