We Give God Way Too Much Credit

“The first step in natural healing is responsibility.” Richard Schulze

When I say I stubbed my toe, I mean I jammed it going 5 miles an hour into yet another cement block that got in my way. Tripping over one in a Wilmington parking lot is how I broke my nose. 

I was tempted to excuse the accident with a statement like “God wants my attention.” I thought about all the times I’ve attributed unpleasant experiences to God teaching me lessons. Indirectly, I guess it is about learning because that’s how he designed our world. If I’m honest, though, the accidents and ailments likely have more to do with how I’m living (or not living) my life. And how I’m learning (or not learning) those lessons.

Although I didn’t recognize it at the time, my “don’t take anything stronger than Tylenol” and “only go to doctor in an emergency” mentality began when an ob-gyn prescribed medication so I could get pregnant. The problem was, I was already pregnant and, under those circumstances, the medicine was unsafe.

I agonized until I got in with another physician. It just so happened that on his staff was a nurse midwife who didn’t shave, drove a VW van, and grew her own food before organic was the fad. Meeting her (and being a hippy at heart myself) began a journey to natural childbirth and an interest in natural health and healing.

I had no idea how to nurture that interest until someone suggested Louise Hay’s book You Can Heal Your Life.

Before that introduction, I was familiar and comfortable attributing my accidents and ailments to being God’s will. Or blaming bad luck and bad genes. Or ignoring how much my emotional mindset and spiritual condition factored into my physical wellbeing.

I think we all sort of know we’re answerable for more of what happens to us than we want to take responsibility for. We say things like “I’m sick over the situation” or “I feel like I’m trying to get sick” or “I made myself sick.” We say about others, “They brought it on themselves.” But when it’s time to do something about not making ourselves sick, we come up short.

Expecting total good health and an accident-free life is unreasonable. Awareness, however, is reasonable. This is where Hay’s book comes in helpful. During a mishap or illness, one of the first things I do is check the emotional diagnosis in You Can Heal Your Life. Hay wrote more than 50 pages to address problems, their probable causes, and new thought patterns for healing. Many times, physical problems show up before we’re aware of emotional and spiritual turmoil.

I’m not suggesting we eliminate God’s help or medical help, but that we take responsibility by helping ourselves.

My blue and aching toe? Toe problems represent “the minor details in the future.” Bruises indicate “the little bumps in life and self-punishment.” Hay suggests positive self-talk like the one for self-punishment, “I love and cherish myself.”

Are you experiencing accidents and/or physical ailments that need your emotional and spiritual attention?

WRite wHere I’m supposed to be – When things go wrong, we tend to credit God and the lessons he has for us to learn, when, in fact, the lesson might be to take our share of the responsibility.