Transformed...for a reason

Although I’m always grateful for the difference living unrefined has made in our lives, there are times when it hits harder than others, like the time my mom handed me a “before” picture of us, and I remembered how we used to look and feel, or the day Dale cleaned out the medicine cupboard and lined up on the counter all of the medication bottles he no longer needed.

Today was one of those days. I was finishing up our taxes, and I had gotten to the medical expenses. I pulled out the plastic bin full of receipts and began looking through it. As I did, I realized how easily I had forgotten about all of the medications we used to buy. I had forgotten how often Dale and Hayley used to have to go to the doctor, and all of the symptoms they used to have. Bills and bills. Receipts and receipts. It was literally thousands of dollars worth of medical expenses. I guess you could say we needed life, unrefined more than anyone.

Sure, our grocery bills were less back then, but we more than made up for it with lab work, doctors’ bills, visits to specialists, and prescriptions.

The longer we live unrefined, the more distant these things become from our reality, but I hope I never stop being grateful. I’m grateful that Dale, desperate for relief from physical pain, chronic fatigue, and frequent illnesses, walked into Dr. Sweeney’s office looking for help, and that, for once, he wasn’t simply handed another Rx order, which would only continue to mask his symptoms--symptoms which were showing up for a reason. His body was trying to tell him something, and the doctors weren't listening. He didn't want another medication thrust at him. He wanted to be well.

This time, it was different. This time, Dr. Sweeney listened, and then he challenged Dale to live differently. He challenged him to get his body healthy through natural means so that he would no longer need all of those doctors' visits and medications to mask his symptoms. Instead, he would be attacking the root cause behind the symptoms. We had no idea—no idea—just how transforming Dr. Sweeney’s challenge would be.

As unbelievable as this transformation has been for us, though, it’s almost inconsequential compared to the unbelievable spiritual transformation Christ wants to perform in our lives when we truly let Him have control. The apostle Paul says that “The training of the body has a limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come (1 Tim. 4:8).

Imagine the amazing benefits we can experience from allowing God to transform our spirits, taking away all of the harmful crud we put in them. The results of physical transformation have an amazing impact on our lives here and now—our ability to live and breathe and move with greater ease and clarity—but the results of spiritual transformation have an unbelievable impact both on our present lives, and on our eternity.

As we seek to remove harmful foods and toxins from our bodies in order to live healthier lives, my hope and prayer is that we also take time to transform our spirits. If we neglect this, we’ve wasted our time and completely missed the point of living life, unrefined. We discipline our bodies and make the effort to live healthier now because of eternity. Now is the time God has given us to serve, to pray, to worship, and to use our gifts. We can do all of this better with healthier bodies. The reason we work hard on our health is because we know we’ve got more important things to do with our lives, things that will matter for eternity. We live life, unrefined, which is of limited value, because we recognize what is of greater importance...knowing Him and making Him known.