Deep BelieverComfort in Oppression

The day before Easter of this year, I broke my fourth toe. Not only did I break my fourth toe, but I had to do a liturgical dance that I had choreographed for a small group of fantastic women who were heavily relying on me, all of which had never danced before. We practiced every day, for many hours, for eight days. So basically, my job was to get these women to learn a moderately difficult dance, which of whom had never done so, in a little shy over a week. Even though they learned/memorized each step, motion and movement, they needed me slightly going forward, so if by chance they were to forget a step, eyeing me could help them out. So I’m sure you’d understand why they were a little more than freaking out when I came limping into practice a day before the dance with a black, medical post-op shoe on my left foot.

I had already made up in my mind that I would coach them without me, encouraging them and believing they could do it. But during training, a friend of mine, who knew “a-thing-or-two about a-thing-or-two”, medically about the human body, noticed that when I’d attempted to demonstrate parts of the dance for the ladies, it was completely unnoticeable that my toe was broken, except for the fact of the visibly, fashionable medical shoe (there’s a bit of sarcasm there). She encouraged me to get back into the dance, rather than coach. I forbade it! But with a bit more motivation, I was convinced. Therefore, I took off my med shoe just before she urged me to put it back on. She told me to dance with it! What?! (By the way, I wouldn’t recommend this).

Anyway, to make a long story short, I danced the next day with the rest of the women on Easter Sunday to the song “You’re Beautiful” by Shane & Shane, and it came out

magnificent, with the glory of God permeating the atmosphere. Had not our pastor announced my situation immediately after, no one in the congregation would have had any knowledge of my broken toe! I went to see my orthopedic doctor two weeks later, and he gleefully expressed how straight and well my toe was healing.

My case in point is this: I could have

stayed comfortable in the oppression of having a broken toe, or believing nothing is impossible with God and dancing for His glory. Thank God I chose the latter. Not to mention, around seven years ago, the doctor told me I had pretty bad asthma (you can find that in a previous blog post), I refused to be oppressed my something that was an intruder to my body, and now I am asthma free! Not by any effort of my own, but with the help from the Lord and childlike faith in His promises.

A few years before that, I was diagnosed with arthritis. There came a time in point when my husband had to brush my hair because it hurt too much for me to do it on my own. But I refused that invader called “oppression”, and I am arthritis-free today…all because I took Jesus at His word (Matthew 11:28)!

But to be honest, there are times when we are tempted, or just by our human nature, to settle with whatever blow we’ve been dealt. If the doctor gives bad news; if it seems like you’ll forever be impoverished or struggling; if life unexpectedly turns in a direction you hadn’t planned for; or if it seems as if others are intentionally or unintentionally holding you back from your destiny;

all of which are forms of oppression which is extremely easy to fall into the comfort zone of settlement.

If your body is God’s temple, what right does an intruder have there, unless he is welcomed or accepted in? We do this…a lot–without even realizing it. If someone was to invade your home with ill intentions, I’m sure you would do all that was possible to get them out as soon as possible. You’d be considered absolutely crazy to let them stay. This is how we have to view our life as well as our body!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. –Jeremiah 29:11