Object lesson from a Chiropractic Bench

My chiropractor gets me to cooperate. I take a deep breath, fold my arms across my chest, or drop one of them down the side of the bench. She presses in and the tricky adjustment is made. I feel relief, albeit with pain at times. She often says “Stellar movement today!! “ I tell her she must have Irish blood, knowing how far I have to go to be truly flexible, as we both work on the legacy in my body of years of emotional tension.

But there are other times when my cooperation and her strength are not enough. She then has to rely on the special features of her expensive bench. She warns me that she is about to let the bench do the work of moving my body down so that the necessary adjustment can be made. For those of you who know, it’s a little like the bottom falling out, even if it’s only at one spot. I wait, prepare myself for the noise, the drop, the plop, and then relief comes. I am grateful, but almost embarrassed that she had to do things that way.

I have found myself musing upon this experience as an object lesson. I can be cooperating well with God in the adjustments I understand Him to be making in my life. We make progress slowly, and usually I can feel part of the process and rhythm of His movements. But once in a while, it feels like, no matter how well we communicate, He has to let the bottom drop out in a situation or relationship. I get a jolt, even if I sense it coming. It feels noisy inside, and I have almost a sense of shame that He had to do things that way, that He had to use circumstances around me to force a better reaction within me.

When I feel the relief and see the fruit of the change, I am grateful, but it can still feel traumatic and awkward. Then I step back from my feelings and see what He has done. He has been telling me to make level paths for my feet, to build the foundation of everything in my life on Him. I have been doing my best. But it has been shaky and tense in some situations and relationships. Then the bottom drops out for a while, and I am on a new level. I am more grounded, and more flexible.

I couldn’t allow my chiropractor to do what she does if I didn’t have absolute faith in her ability and judgment. The same of course goes with God. But it still shakes me up (and down) when the bottom drops out. I am discombobulated until I feel that new sense of stability and rightness, that better foundation for my being.

As I drive around I often play the song, “Jesus, you’re my sure foundation, I know I can stand secure.” It has a strong beat, an uplifting tune, and it strengthens my spirit as I listen and sing along. And often I am reminded that in order for God to build that sure foundation, He has to drop the bottom out for a time, to take me to a deeper level. May we be ready to embrace His work, not panic when He needs to shake us up (or down) so that we will be more stable and sure, and stand secure, on level ground.