How Uncomfortable are You Willing to Get for Your Healing?

The other day, while I was sitting at a coffee shop writing, a shooting pain went through my neck. It was an uncomfortable experience, and I was rather impressed at my ability to injure myself without doing anything.

I went home and stretched, massaged, and rested. I did yoga, used essential oils, and tried staying as stationary as possible. Though each of these things helped, the pain lingered—it was immensely frustrating. For days, while trying to fix the problem myself, my mind returned to a friend who is a massage therapist. I knew that I had to call her. I was sure she would be able to help me through this problematic neck issue.

So Why Wait?

Here’s the thing: I don’t like being touched. Seriously. I don’t like hugging or any physical contact. I’m a big fan of barriers and personal space. My comfort zone bubble is rather large, and I don’t appreciate it when it’s invaded.

With this in mind, you can probably imagine how uncomfortable it was for me to call my friend to help me out.

Today, I went into her studio, she gave me a massage, and I was uncomfortable the entire time. I didn’t like being naked under the sheet, the fact that she was touching me as much as she was, and that I couldn’t hide anything from her. More than that, I was not in control during the session. I had one job: to lie there and let her work.

But I was desperate, so I endured; I had gotten to the point where healing was more important than remaining in my comfort zone.

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While I was laying on her table, I was thinking about how this physical experience mirrors that of the spiritual and emotional discomfort we must go through if we want healing.

In 2018, I went through Celebrate Recovery, a program designed to help you get free from your hurts, habits, and hang-ups. This was a huge leap outside of my control freak comfort zone, and I’m so happy that I obeyed the Lord as He called me out there. I was willing to make myself uncomfortable because I knew God had more freedom for me than I was experiencing.

Uncomfortable on Purpose

After my session, it occurred to me that I should make visits to my friend part of my regular routine. Maybe my back and neck and head will cause me fewer problems if I allowed her to consistently work out the tight muscles and knots that accumulate in my body. While less pain sounds like a wonderful thing that I most definitely want to experience, it would mean subjecting myself to consistent discomfort. It would mean releasing control and being vulnerable for an hour a week. It would mean a financial sacrifice and a change of my regular day-off schedule.

Is the possibility of being healed worth putting myself in that position? I’m honestly not sure.

This, as you can imagine, also reminds me of our faith journeys. Healing is not an event but is a process. While something like Celebrate Recovery is incredible and a program I think everyone should attend, it’s not the end of the story. You don’t go through a year of submission and healing only to be set for life. In fact, that’s just the beginning of the healing process.

Every day is an opportunity to experience deeper healing, to remove some of the lies we’ve believed, and embrace the truth that we are fully loved by God. With every action and interaction, we can put ourselves into the uncomfortable positions of vulnerability, transparency, and openness and see what the Lord can do.

But it all begins with a simple question: how uncomfortable are you willing to get for your healing?

I hope that we are all willing to look at our lives and embrace the discomfort as we pursue the Lord and reject our unhealthy ways. May we continue to follow Him into uncomfortable places knowing that it will always lead to more healing and more freedom.

What About You?

Is there an area of your life where you need to release control and maybe be willing to get a little uncomfortable? Or have you seen this to be true in your own life? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

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