If you told me in college that I would be running on a treadmill for a Cardiac test at 31 I would have laughed at you. Yet there I was; in a world full of 90-year-old heart patients. I felt awkward and a little silly. I had strapped on running shoes and cross-country length shorts because they told me the test would take 35 minutes (this equals miles of running in my mind). I got on the treadmill and they automatically had to move the speed up twice in order for me not to high step it. Stupid long legs. It took a long time for my heart rate to raise; but I rocked that test. Through an ongoing goose chase of medical tests this past couple of years I have learned a lot about what is and isn’t healthy about my body; yet for some reason I still struggle to correct things that really need it. I’ve learned over everything that stress is the worst of evils on your body; that and Mt Dew. I didn’t think I could kick the Mt. Dew, but I did. When is the stress gonna go?How can I really kick something when I can’t control its cause?  What I am going to do about my other heart condition?

Living differently means I see my other heart condition and take steps so that it gets healthy; no excuses.

So the doctors’ prescription for what looked like a possible cardiac issue is to learn to distress and breathe, to eat up the good things and to exercise a lot. This is also part of the same treatment for other physical issues I am dealing with. The thing that kills me is that I probably have a better chance at winning the lottery then getting away from stress right now. Note I don’t play the lottery that’s how crazy these odds are. I rather not spend my time explaining the details of house, relationship, parenting, employment, income, and personal issues that are creating this hole mess; it doesn’t help my point. But folks lets hit reality here, with the expectations of our world; unless we can sell everything and move off grid; we can’t escape hardship, stress, and struggle. The stress of moving off grid is whose gonna take my junk.. It’s not gonna go away. I also refuse to move into clichés about how stress makes you stronger or how when God blesses you they melt off. So in this reality with my physical heart I can’t just quit and shrivel up and die in the hole. I can’t wait till a panic attack takes me out. So instead of trying to change the cause of stress; which I can’t; I have to do things to help my body respond better, I have to make choices that will make me healthier… So that means eating Paleo diet, walking even when its cold, popping in the cardio videos, writing, dancing more, and spending time with things I enjoy and wont kill me. Some of this means I have to put on my big girl pants, pull up the boot straps, and get off my backside…. But I’m not really as concerned about my physical side as I am the other heart condition.

Let us consider for a minute the effects of stresses on our other hearts. What about all the things that wear us to nothing?  What about heart ache and pain that comes with relational disruption? What about the burdens we can’t seem to shake that feel like broken ribs on our chest or back ache? What about the doubts we won’t vocalize or search out for fear that we will sound like spiritual hypochondriac? What about the things that make us feel like we are choked and cannot breathe? What about unbelief we refuse to wrestle are we that afraid of dealing with spiritual skin flabs from getting fit?… Don’t worry I am talking to myself here… There are so many things we cannot change outside of us, but there is a lot that can be changed inside. Don’t get lost here… I am not saying to repeat fluffy phrases in order to will yourself into health… Oh no friends, your work does not make you well; good thing we have The Great Doctor to do that. His work in us is what heals us, shapes us, and changes our other heart condition. But if we don’t actually follow His prescription we sit. He gave us a cure and it’s not more cowbell… It’s His spirit through Christ working in us to change and be healthy…. so His recommended order on our end is to spend time with Him. Kick the snot out the junk by making your time with Him count. You struggle? Search Him out. You’re angry? Learn what good fruit looks like. You a whine bag? Learn the practice of praise. You’re exhausted? get somewhere to just listen…. What I am saying is exercise, eat what is good, pop in the motivators, write, dance it out, and do what makes you thrive without killing you. Get out the junk..  In other words… Exercise spiritual fruit and Christ-likeness daily. Digest the Word like you depend on it. Get yourself around people who force you to grow. Write/share testimonies of God’s work in you. Find new ways to praise and worship the Lord with gusto. Do what God has called you to do and nothing more… Get rid of the things that pull you to sin, complacency, and junk. This is not easy and it takes work, but if we are really wanting our other heart condition to change we have to get real with The Doctor.

Living differently means I see my other heart condition and take steps so that it gets healthy; no excuses. The Great Doctor works when I just jump into His methods 100%.

Freedom from what ales you is found in that only…. So for me this means I am pulling up the kitchen comfy chair  where the Dr and I meet more often, letting psalms teach me to praise, cutting out the junk (the spiritual mt. dew, slow killers) and really focusing on what brings change… The Good Doctor Himself… Go you chicken fat go…

Thank you Almighty for the work You have begun in me. Thank you for using a medical issue to teach me I have a spiritual issue and Your solution. You have begun the work and are the faithful God who will complete it…