I just wanted to share a recent email from the organization Treasures. Here it is below:
There is a well-told story of a man, lying on a mat, who had been
disabled for 38 years. In it, Jesus asks him a question: ‘Do you want
to get well?’ (John 5)
At that point, the man started coming up
with excuses, saying that nobody would help him, and every time he
tried to get better, somebody got in his way. Ultimately, Jesus
instructs the man to ‘Take up his mat and walk.’ He follows this
instruction and is miraculously healed.
I believe that Jesus is asking you and me the same question: “Do you want to get well?”
Sometimes
we think we want to get better, but when it comes down to it, we have a
million excuses as to why we can’t. We complain that “Nobody will help
us” and “Every time we try, something gets in our way.” We become
comfortable with our condition and content to remain paralyzed on our
mats.
I spent many years wishing my life would change, stuck in
patterns and relationships. But ultimately, it wasn’t enough to want
to change-I had to decide to change.
Ultimately, the decision is
in our hands. Nobody can want it for us. God can’t force it on us. Our
friends can’t fix us. Finding the “right man” won’t miraculously make
our life better. We must decide to get well. Once we do, I believe
that just as the paralytic man discovered, Jesus will give us the
strength we need in order to walk.
By Harmony Dust
www.ScarsAndStilettos.com
(Excerpt from my memoir, Scars and Stilettos.
Appendix Chapter on My Healing Journey)
