Monday Morning Manna: Staying Healthy. . . In Season and Out of Season

I had two visits with doctors a few days ago: one for losing my voice and the other, my six-month physical exam. All said and done, I’m in pretty good shape for the shape I’m in. It seems I have a body/mind disconnect. According to one doctor, I am refusing to let my mind dwell on my age, so it makes plans as though I were younger. However, my body knows how old I am, and reacts to the plans accordingly. The throat issue was partly seasonal, and both doctors agreed that I needed to take it easy, slow down a bit, and take more breaks. My grandfather used to put it this way: the mind writes checks that the body can’t cash. His comment was long before the semi-famous quote from Captain Tom “Stinger” Jordan in the movie “Top Gun”: “Your ego is writing checks your body can’t cash”. Besides, my grandfather didn’t have much of an ego, and I don’t think he went to many movies. He just worked hard six days a week and went to church on Sunday morning, then to the Waco, Texas train depot on Sunday afternoon to “watch the passenger trains go through.” That was his form of a relaxing change-of-pace, and it seemed to work for him. It wouldn’t take me long to watch the two daily passenger trains that go through Fort Worth these days, so I’ll need to find another diversion. Bottom line conclusion: I’ll just keep sharing “the word. . . in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2) and attending baseball games in season, and other sporting events out-of-season. Then when God is finished with me, the season will be over.

Dr. Dan Crawford, Senior Professor at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, is the WestCoast Baptist Association’s Spiritual Life & Leadership Mentor. Follow Dan on Twitter @DrDanRC and Facebook www.facebook.com/dan.crawford.