Have you ever had a cortisone shot? That shot with the 3+ inch needle that they stick deep into your joint to inject some sort of steroid that takes away the pain. I play softball for a local high school, and I LOVE softball. But, last summer I dislocated my shoulder diving into 3rd base. I treated this injury like all of my past sprained ankles, and picked up playing again as soon as the pain was dull enough that I could stand it. Fall and winter passed and I decided to not play basketball because I realized that sports weren't that important, and I had a deep passion to grow stronger in Christ. Over my 3 month off period, a transformation was made in my life with Christ.
Softball season was at hand, and it was no question whether or not I would play... I LOVE softball. After the first week of practice, my shoulder started hurting and I went and had it looked at by my trainer and I had tendentious in my rotator cuff. Therapy would begin right away and it would take a maximum of 6 weeks but most likely only 4. I hated to sit out, but I knew that it would all be better in the long run. Of course, it must turn out that therapy didn't go as planned and 6 weeks later, I wasn't even to step 2! I decided to get a cortisone shot so that it would dull the pain so I could play. I went to the doctor, then to get an MRI Arthogram, and finally when all tests said O.K., I was given the shot. It worked and I was playing EXCELLENT, for about a week ... the pain was coming back.
So often in life, we get cortisone shots. We will find any way possible to dull the pain for a little while. We'll do whatever it takes to get what we want, and that shot, instead of making us better and allowing us to perform at our highest ability, only masks the pain within until one day, a tendon tears. God tells us in Matthew 11:28-30 to bring Him our hurts, our fears, those little things we bottle up inside until the eat their way out
"Come to me, all you who
are weary and burdened, and I
will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you and learn from
me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. For my yoke is
easy and my burden is light."I have now decided to quit softball. I turned in my uniform last week. Sometimes we must realize that the things in life we love most, draw us farthest away from our almighty Abba Father. God often shows us in so many ways (as in my softball story) that we don't need to be doing what we are doing at the time because what we are doing is not bringing glory to Him. We then try to find every way possible to keep doing it because we LOVE it. Trust me, if we live like that, then even if we do what we LOVE, we'll hate it. But, if we live for God, and love God, and give our EVERYTHING to God, our darkest, worst days will be like morning. Job 11:13-19 says-
"Yet if you devote your heart to him
and stretch out your hands to him,
if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear.You will surely forget your trouble,
recalling it only as waters gone by.
Life will be brighter than noonday,
and darkness will become like morning.
You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid, and many will court your favor."
We need to quit trying to fulfill our lives with OUR desires. We need to stop getting cortisone shots from the world every time something happens to try and cover the pain; it only leads to destruction; your tendon will snap in your shoulder and then what will you do? Honestly, you can go to the doctor, and have surgery, and it'll all be fine eventually. In the same way, you can go to God, and He'll fix it. But why go through all the pain? Why not just go to the doctor to begin with?
