Just an Ounce

Benjamin Franklin is credited with the maxim, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Wanting to follow this logic, yesterday I went to Walgreens and got a flu shot.

I grew up in a home where both parents believed a little illness gave the body a chance to exercise its disease-fighting mechanism, and conquering the flu was evidence all systems were working. We weren’t taken to a doctor unless we needed stitches or surgery, and if we had a fever, we weren’t encouraged to take aspirin. “A fever is just your body letting the sickness out,” Mom would say.

That philosophy is probably why I figured flu shots were only for those who loved medicine and doctors offices. I’d been sick so few times I couldn’t even remember having a cold. That is, until Christmas, 2010.

Our whole family was scheduled to come to Michigan from Florida, England, Hawaii, Iowa, and Chicago. Christmas of 2009 had been sad and somber, since we were still reeling over Nate’s death a few weeks earlier. When I look at the family photo taken a year later in 2010, I see a group that had survived the worst part of grieving. But I also see a whole bunch of people who had just finished enduring something else: two holiday weeks of shared diseases.

The Christmas season we’d hoped would be joyful included fevers, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and lots of crankiness. Not one of us had escaped. And several days after that picture, as I stood on the front porch waving off the last of them, I made a decision to join the ranks of flu shot consumers.

An ounce of prevention is always better than mopping up afterwards, but of course this principle doesn’t just apply to diseases. If we fudge on our income taxes, for example, the end result is a fine many times greater than the original tax bill. If we tell one lie, we might have to tell 15 more to support that first one. On paper we know these things. Applying them is something else.

And what about spiritual ounces of prevention? How do we prevent ourselves from, for instance, falling into temptation? An ounce of that kind of prevention might mean finding an accountability partner. It might mean making sure the things that tempt us have been cleaned out of our homes. Maybe it’s appropriate Scriptures written on cards, or a list of 3 practical steps to take during times of weakness.

Hebrews 11 tells us that many of the Old Testament saints “were made strong out of weakness.” (v. 34) And how did that happen? God strengthened their faith, one preventative ounce at a time. He’s the same God today, offering the same ounces to any of us who are willing to work at preventing sin.

I guess compared to that, getting a flu shot is a piece of Christmas cake. Ben Franklin, my sore shoulder thanks you.

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)

Arrested by God

Recently I received a long letter laced with powerful criticisms. My immediate response was a racing heart, followed by a passionate desire to defend myself against the charges.

That is, until God tapped on my brain and said, “Isn’t some of that true?”

Feeling like a child who’d been put in her proper place, I had to answer yes. But was I supposed to do nothing after reading a letter like that? As always, God was ready with an answer. “I’ll let you know what to do.”

That same afternoon I picked up the Duggar’s book A Love That Multiplies and opened to where I’d last dog-eared the page several weeks ago. Wouldn’t you know, the next chapter was, “Coping with Criticism.” Some might call it coincidence, but I call it God.

People who watch cable TV all seem to have an opinion about the Duggar family. Since they’re following scriptural guidelines to run their family (19 children) and businesses, they’ve garnered both criticism and praise from the watching public. I admire them for going against the grain of society and loudly proclaiming they believe the Bible contains the answer to every problem.

As I read how they cope with criticism, I realized they were in the big leagues of disapproval, receiving many scathing emails daily (sprinkled among the complimentary ones). In my case, I was dealing with only one letter.

Michelle Duggar (the mom) said, “Criticism always hurts, especially when it’s true,” which was exactly what I was feeling. But then she said, “That’s an opportunity for growth.”

I knew she was right. So, if I would allow God to break down my pride, improvement could be made. If I wouldn’t, it couldn’t.

Jim Bob (the dad) wrote, “When criticisms are true, we can learn from them if we stop ourselves from defending or justifying our actions. If they’re lies, we can learn how to correctly respond according to the Bible.” Then he added that he and Michelle teach their children never to argue with their attackers but (gulp) to pray for them instead.

So God had followed through, letting me know how to respond to both true criticisms and false ones. But there was more. Both Michelle and Jim Bob agreed that criticisms ought to be viewed not only as something to work around but as blessings, quoting Matthew 5:11-12: Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you…. (Matthew 5:11)

So God’s instructions were to skip self-defense, work on correcting what’s been rightly criticized, pray for my accuser, and consider myself blessed to have received the letter. Then he wants me to turn my reputation over to him. As Michelle said, “We obey God… and don’t worry about what others think.”

“Pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

Be prepared.

Sleep was hard to come by last night. The forest crickets outside seemed extra loud, and the wall clock was doing a click-click instead of a tick-tick. I tried not to keep checking the glowing-green digital hours as they passed, but if the mind can’t be quieted, the body won’t rest.

When I asked myself, “What are you worried about?” my brain flooded with answers. Of greatest concern was an upcoming trip. Running through a mental check list in the dark, I couldn’t remember if I had or hadn’t tended to certain duties. Had I even written them down? And if so, where were they? Maybe on misplaced Post-it notes?

No one can sleep with a pounding heart, so the only thing to do was get up and make the list. Surely I’d drift off quickly after that, once everything was out of my head and inked on a hard copy.

Traveling produces anxiety for two reasons: (1) worry about forgetting something important (like my passport… again); (2) not having a travel companion to share preparations and second-guess me (formerly Nate).

Some people refuse to go anywhere because of this kind of pre-travel stress. I totally get that. But whether we like to travel or not, there’s one trip all of us will be required to make eventually, the one from this world to the next. When I think of the extensive planning for a journey from one earthly place to another (including mind-wrestling the details during the night), I wonder if I’ve taken the same care with my off-the-earth trip.

Maybe because that seems distant with ample time to prep, I’m not stressed right now. I’ve never lost a night’s sleep worrying about it. But really, why haven’t I?

Christ Jesus will be waiting for me at the other end of that supernatural travel day, so being ready is critical. Scripture says he’ll welcome me with open arms, but it also says he’ll have a few questions for me on topics like idle words, insincere motives, hidden sins. Will I have prepared well enough for all that?

The answer is yes.

The only preparation needed will have been my alignment with Jesus before I stand in front of him, followed by having kept short accounts concerning my sins and faults. Once forgiven, always forgiven, and that’s his rule, not mine.

It’s possible I might lose some more sleep over my upcoming trip, but because I believe the words of the Bible, I know I won’t lose one wink of it wondering if I’ve made adequate preparations for my journey to Jesus.

Jesus… “is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.” (Jude 1:24)