Facing Reality
As I watched my 13 year old daughter fall on her knees, head in hands, I sprinted onto the basketball court in three seconds flat. Blood poured out her nose and mouth while my eyes never left her face wondering where she was hit. Walking her off the court with my arms wrapped around her, I stayed behind her in case she fell backwards. Ashen, dizzy and light headed, Annalise was not able to speak much. Another player’s head had slammed her nose and face while they were playing basketball.
Game Over for my daughter.
At the doctor’s office we wanted to know one thing. Was her nose broken? Her nose is what all of us could see and it was slightly swollen and stuffed up, blocking air flow. Methodically, the doctor asked questions taking in as much information as she could before the actual examination. Feeling a bit impatient, I asked aloud if her nose was broken or not. If not, that’s great because the next day was the basketball tournament and Annalise was one of her team’s defender. I was feeling confident that the doctor would sign the necessary paperwork for her to play.
After all, this was a temporary, even minor sports injury, right?
Her nose was not broken and, in fact, she had sustained a concussion. Not only was playing in the tournament out of the question, her brain needed complete rest. According to the doctor, complete resting of the brain meant no reading, no texting, no television, no activity. But aren’t those non-activities? I inquired, as I eyed a sullen Annalise across the examining room. Her face reflected one who just received the news that she could not do what she so passionately desired.
Moved by compassion, I started formulating a plan so she could play. In the middle of my scheming, the doctor explained that even taking in information stresses the brain and causes it to swell.
What is unseen to us needs to be left alone so it can renew.
I removed my attention from what I could see to what I couldn’t see.
Resting her brain served one reason – it was best for her. I stopped my conniving wheels from turning and accepted the reality of what I could not see.
~
Second Corinthians 4:16-18 (amp.) encourages us in three things that are best for us:
1) Don’t become discouraged, weary or exhausted because your body is wasting away: Your inner self is being renewed day after day.
2) This slight, temporary distress and pain will pass: It’s preparing and achieving for you something glorious beyond anything we can measure!
3) Look to the things that are unseen: They are invisible, deathless and everlasting.
When I stop taking in information all day long and let my brain rest, I daydream a little and memories come to the forefront. As my imagination wraps around an old memory, it creates a connection to my present thoughts and circumstances. It’s a heaven and earth intersection, and I experience eternity, I live in the invisible realm. Being all lit up with the present renews my brain and ultimately my spirit.
After the basketball tournament the next night, I talked to Annalise about how she was feeling. It was hard for her to admit but not playing was much harder than she had imagined. Watching the game made her want to play all the more. She ached to be fully alive on the court. Wordless, I just sat with her. What we could see with our human eyes was that she just missed an awesome basketball game. What we couldn’t see, what was eternal was her inner self being renewed giving her more passion beyond what she had the day before! It’s something that cannot be calculated.
How about you? What makes you aware that your inner self is being renewed day after day?
