He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Psalm 40:3a

Monday, May 2, 2016

Yes! Catnip!

       
        “No thank you,” I said when offered a carbonated beverage by an acquaintance. “I can’t handle soda.  My favorite drink is tea.”

         “Are you kidding me? Tea?”

         “Oh yeah.  My favorite is catnip tea.”

         “Catnip tea?” she repeated grimacing.

         “Absolutely.  It is actually good for you.  Unlike how cats react to it, it actually has a calming effect on people.  And besides that, it has an awesome flavor.  I think it’s in the mint family.  Honestly it’s my favorite.”
        
         Herbal medicines have been around for hundreds of years.  There are those who believe the “art” of healing can be passed down through genetic lines.  When the first settlers came to this “foreign land” they brought necessary herbal and medicinal knowledge with them in the form of seeds and plants.  As the colonists settled and eventually friended the Indians, cultures crossed and healing methods merged.  History shows catnip has been appreciated for many, many years in Indian traditions.  Catnip wasn’t just enjoyed for the flavor, but rather for medicine for colicky babies, which any parent who has had a crying baby for hours, knows can be very frustrating!

         As I consider this, I believe our Lord is the Great Physician.  He has provided natural plants and herbs we need to remain healthy and aid recovery if we have an issue.  He has also, given a number of humans incredible minds to learn and develop scientific methods with which to reclaim health from many physical ailments.

         That said, medicine can be found and prescribed for almost every imaginable complaint.  Visit the doctor for nearly anything and you can walk out of his office with a prescription.  With media access you can even see commercials describing possible symptoms followed with the recommendation to visit your doctor to discuss options if you think you have the disease.  Not only are there commercials, if you do a search via the internet, you are likely to get not one or two, but dozens of possible “ailments” connected to your symptom, a prognosis and a myriad of possible solutions, often leaving a person more confused than when they started, or thinking surely their days are numbered!

         Medicines however, create their own set of issues.  When you “fix” one thing with medicine, other body parts are affected as well, often negatively.  God didn’t create us, His children, to be so completely filled with synthetic medicines that our bodies become confused to the point of not knowing how to handle not only the disease, but also the antidote meant to cure the problem.   (Please understand that I am not remotely suggesting to disregard any medication your doctor has prescribed.  These are often very helpful and necessary!)  I am suggesting, however, that sometimes overmedicating does happen, and we must be responsible for our own health.

         Jesus came as the Great Physician and not only for our physical needs, but also our emotional and spiritual needs which are all vital for overall good health. When one area of our body is suffering, often it causes the rest of our body to feel less than wonderful!  So I challenge you to reflect on your well being physically, emotionally and spiritually. Are you aligned with Christ?  If not, what changes need to be made?

            

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