“Peace is the deliberate adjustment of my life to the will of God.”
Anonymous
Presently I’m seeing a chiropractor to get rid of shoulder pain. To bring healing to my shoulder, he uses ART, Active Release Technique. Each of my visits ends with an adjustment. Initially with the adjustments, he had to distract me because my fear would cause me to tense up when he turned my neck sharply. But now because I know and understand what’s coming I more readily relax, realizing I’ll feel much looser and better as a result of the adjustment.
The Mayo Clinic describes chiropractic adjustment as “a procedure in which trained chiropractors use their hands or a small instrument to apply a controlled, sudden force to a spinal joint. The goal…is to correct structural alignment and improve your body’s physical function.” God also provides adjustments or change in our lives to correct our spiritual alignment and improve our intimacy with Him.
One of the biggest adjustments God asked John and I to do was to leave our extended family, friends and mountains in Arizona to move to Omaha, Nebraska, twenty-four years ago. In 1988 we were living in Chicago while John was completing his fellowship training in Pediatric Urologic Surgery. I was shocked when John brought up the possibility of moving, since my plan was to live in Tucson till the day I died! For several weeks I wrestled with the Lord. I was angry at God and wept at the thought of moving. While processing my heart, our pastor preached a message about getting out of your boat, your comfort zone, just as Jesus had exhorted Peter to do. It took a while, but I finally got to the point emotionally and spiritually of being open to obeying what God might be asking us to do.
A few months later in February, 1989, as John was in Omaha having his first set of interviews and I was in Chicago, he and I both stumbled upon Genesis 12:1 during our quiet times with God. “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.'” God’s call was clear. He was asking us to leave our home state and all those we loved.
Was there loss to grieve? Yes. Was it scary to be uprooted and move to a land we knew not of? Definitely. Was it lonely at times and difficult to establish friendships? Of course. Was it worth it? Absolutely!!! Obeying God may cost us something, but it is always worth the cost. You can’t go wrong submitting to and obeying the Lord. His ways, His plans are always the best.
We grew up spiritually and experienced emotional freedom during our years in Nebraska. God could have done that in Tucson or anywhere else in the world, but He deemed it best to mature us in Omaha. This is where He desired our intimacy with Him to grow. What would have happened if we had disobeyed Him? How would our hearts be today if we obeyed, but did so grudgingly? What if we didn’t fully embrace and accept God’s plan for our lives? I’m sure today we wouldn’t be experiencing God’s blessing to the fullest degree, nor peace and contentment within our hearts.
Adjustments can be scary and difficult to make and walk through, but they’re worth it when you’re being obedient to God’s will for your life.
“Growth in the Christian life depends on obedience in times of crisis.”
James Dobson
Relevant Reflections:
1. What adjustment is God wanting to make in your life?
2. What will the changes require of you?
3. Reflect back on God adjustments in the past. How was your spiritual alignment corrected and how did your intimacy with God improve?
4. How are you deliberately adjusting your life to the will of God?