Just Apply Pressure

I was in a car accident just over a month ago.  I was rear-ended coming off the freeway and so I was a bit jostled.  For the next few weeks I was sleep deprived, angry (did you know one of the symptoms of whiplash is uncontrollable/unprovoked anger? I did not,) and incredibly uncomfortable.  My spine couldn’t seem to find a happy place to be.  It certainly didn’t like lying down or sitting up. On top of being incredibly aware of my spine, my back and shoulder muscles ached constantly.

A few weeks ago I was sitting in church battling a “fit of rage” (weirdest things ever) and rubbing my shoulder when the thought occurred to me: When we feel pain we apply pressure. 

Have you ever gotten one of those massages that are so painful in the moment but as soon as you’re done you want to kiss the therapist who you wanted to curse five minutes ago?

Now think about yoga.  Yoga is the most manipulative form of exercise that I know.  I hate it, I hate the yogi, and myself whileI'm doing it.  It’s painful, and the entire time I'm doing it I'm wondering why I keep going back. Then I do the little meditation thing at the end and suddenly I'm in the best mood and I float away on my little yoga cloud.

Sensing a pattern?

We have sayings like, “when it rains it pours,” or “if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen to me,” for a reason.  That reason: Pressure. Pressure is good for you.  When you are in a time of frustration and trial and things keep piling on and you can’t believe that anything else could possibly go wrong, and then it does and you wonder why… pressure.  God is just applying pressure to eventually relieve the pain.

So don’t despair my lovelies, it’ll all work out.  It always does.  And just remember in the meantime, it’s good for you, even if you don’t like it.