Tim Keller says, "if you put your job above your health, you'll lose both." I can attest to the truth of that statement, with an ironic chuckle. I had to learn it through experience unfortunately, but maybe you won't.
I was just telling my boyfriend last night that I took health for granted my whole life, because it was always there. A given. I remember an 80-year-old lady telling me and my sister, "Take care of your health, because if you don't have your health, you don't have anything," and we laughed at her. Of course an old lady would say that.
Even now, with exhaustion, weakness, depletion as a daily, hourly companion, I am still learning to think biblically about health, my body, rest, work, limits, priorities, stewardship, etc.
One way I can redeem this season of weakness and struggle, in my mind, is by helping others avoid the traps I fell into. If I had known the warning signs, and how dire the consequences for ignoring them, surely I would not be spending all this time, money, and mental energy trying to get well, making up for the things that should have been a part of my daily life.
Here are some warning signs I wish I'd heeded years ago.
• If you feel exhausted after the work week or after a trip, stay home. You're still cool even if you don't go to the party. And your friends will get over it. It's not worth getting sick over.
• If you get sick every time you go on vacation or get some time off, or just feel exhausted when you finally "stop," then your body is trying desperately to tell you something. Listen to it.
• Don't cram every hour of every day with work and social events. Leave lots of "white space" for rest, reflection, and hearing the Still Small Voice. Sitting in traffic does not count. Sitting on the balcony might.
• Listen to YOUR body. Everybody's different. Some people can go go go and it never affects them (I guess). Others need lots of down time. But I think we can safely say that the Sabbath principle applies to everybody. Seek God for how it applies to you.
• more, as I think of them...
