One wish

 

Q: What is your only comfort in life and death?

A: That I am not my own,

    but belong with body and soul,

    both in life and in death,

to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ…

He…preserves me in such a way

    that without the will of my heavenly Father

    not a hair can fall from my head.

Heidelberg Catechism, Question 1

It’s fun when you have something wrong with you, say, inexplicable pain in your hip and opposite shoulder, for example, and you finally decide you should do something about it besides text your friends and Google it, so you go to a doctor, and then another doctor, and then another doctor, and they all say different things—not only is their diagnosis different, but what they say you should do to fix it is different and, indeed, incompatible with what the last doctor said, and furthermore, all the other doctors are quacks.

Me: my body hurts

Obstetrician: It’s menopause. Take supplements.

Me: still hurts

Nurse practitioner: That’s ridiculous, it’s not menopause. It’s inflammation. You need blood tests.

Me: It hurts. Also new parts hurt.

GP: Those supplements are useless. You were out of shape and you overdid it. Stop overdoing it. But also get in shape. So do stuff, but not too much stuff. Just the exact right amount of stuff. And do these ten pages of special stretches.

Me: ….

Massage therapist: Don’t stretch it! It’s your fascia. Everything we’ve learned about pain is wrong. 

Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

~John 18:38

I would remind you that I live in a world of good mattresses, ibuprofen, ergonomically correct car seats, washing machines, and imported oranges from Florida.

It’s not like I carry buckets of water on my head for miles barefoot, eating only rice with no vitamins or air conditioning. 

It doesn’t seem like my body has an excuse to hurt.

Refreshments laid out for Halfway Day

When we were in Costa Rica, we became quite familiar with the national slogan, Pura Vida. Its translation and usage can be roughly translated as follows:

A literal translation would be “pure life,” but we heard it used to mean anything from “this is great” to “you’re welcome” to “cheers.” The Costa Ricans we met were very proud of their laid-back, hospitable culture and fully committed to embodying Pura Vida.

Grandma and Grandpa oohing and aahing

On the way back to the hotel on slothie day, our guide was telling us about different swimming holes/hot springs that are open to the public, and how you can park for free on the side of the road there. But there are certain charlatans that come around and act official and take money from unsuspecting tourists, telling them that there’s a parking fee—so we should be advised that it’s free to park and we don’t really have to pay it. He shook his head at the shamefulness of this practice and said soberly, “That’s not Pura Vida.”

Apparently my body didn’t get the message that it has nothing to freak out about. Calm down, body. Pura Vida, man.

I’d prefer not wondering what’s wrong with me. But Proverbs 4:7 says,

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,

    and whatever you get, get insight.

In other words, if I could have one desperate wish, I should wish for wisdom—not a pain-free life. 

That’s the real Pura Vida.

What is our hope in life and death?

Christ alone, Christ alone.

What is our only confidence?

That our souls to Him belong.

Matt Boswell, Matt Papa, Keith Getty, Jordan Kauflin, & Matthew Sherman Merker, “Christ Our Hope in Life and Death”

Buck pretty well embodies Pura Vida