The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him. Psalm 37: 23
I was 21, and my friends and I went to Washington, D.C. for Spring Break. It had rained the night before…the black marble steps of Arlington National Cemetery were still wet. I stepped down. Before I knew it. The ground gave out beneath me. I tumbled down the 4 other stairs, and not to be embarrassed and show any of the lumps forming on my shin or my bruised ego, I sprang to my feet as quickly as possible. I limped around the rest of our week with a sprained ankle. We laugh about it now. That was just the start of my ankle injuries.
I didn’t know at that age I would physically deal with weak ankles for the rest of my life. I cannot wear very high shoes, no wedges!! Uneven ground is my nemesis! A crack in the sidewalk and my ankle will falter. I can go down in a flash. Mayday! Mayday! Sprained ankle. No joke. It’s part of a bigger picture of my genetic code. I was diagnosed in January of 2021 with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Type 3 Hypermobility or hEDS. hEDS causes all the collagen in my body to be “faulty.” My joints like to pop out of place, dislocate partially, or subluxate all the time. So you see the ankle problem.
In my spiritual body, there have been so many times I’ve been unprepared for the “uneven ground, and my “feet have slipped out from under me.” I have been shaken, discouraged, dismayed, questioned, and even ran from God. It was those dark times when God did not abandon me. He did not judge me. He patiently waited for me to come home. That is the wonderful thing about our Heavenly Father. He’s always there through the good and the bad. When I choose to “Delight” in Him, it doesn’t mean life will be easy or a “bed of roses,” or I’ll get everything I want, but I can trust him to be there for me, just like our verse for today states. If you delight in him, you will know and feel his presence daily.
Delight- verb: to take great pleasure in.
Something that causes excellent happiness or joy.
Imagine your favorite person to hang with and how they make you feel. The joy they bring. The laughter you share. That is what your Heavenly Father wants in a relationship with you!!!
Last summer, a friend brought a documentary about grounding to my attention. Grounding, or Earthing, is a therapeutic technique to physically charge your body to reduce inflammation, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, and many other ailments.
God made our bodies with amazing electromagnetic energy and the earth; it explains why we feel so good when we go to the beach- the rhythm of the waves, the world under our bare feet. We are grounded on the Earth our Father made for us to enjoy. We delight in it.
As I started learning about grounding my body and understanding the incredible Science behind how God created this Earth to help heal us if we just “grounded ourselves,” I thought deeper. How much more does he want us to be grounded in the Word He created and delight in Him? So many days, my to-do list is packed with good and great things, but somehow, He gets the leftovers. In changing my health, I have to change my priorities. He has to be first. If I’m going to be grounded spiritually, I need to start my day with Him, even if it's simply a few minutes. When I am grounded in my spiritual walk, I will not falter. I won’t slip when hard times come because he’s got me. I will be grounded. I will have peace through it all. Through all this world's chaos, I will choose to delight in my Savior each day.
When I choose Him simply asking and inviting Him into my day, it gives me peace. No matter how my body feels. Whether I’m fighting pain: a migraine, arthritis, or a joint that doesn’t want to stay in place, I can still know that He is going to take care of this day, and I can have peace for today. I trust Him to have my back fully, both on the painful days when I’m flat-out on my back, crying in agony, hoping and believing tomorrow will be better, and on the good days. He holds my future, having that mindset helps me get through the hard days. There is no better place to be.