Physical or Spiritual Therapy?

So, Caleb hurt his knee almost three weeks ago, and since we got cleared by UK we've been making trips to the physical therapist.  Katrina and her staff at Jackson Physical Therapy have been excellent, and I'm not just saying that because she's my cousin =)

Caleb is feeling MUCH better, which means that he's having a tough time with the limitations.  And as I was watching him today, I got to thinking about how sometimes physical therapy is a little like our spiritual life as well.

First of all, Caleb started out in that knee immobilizer.  Caleb is a very ACTIVE boy.  Oh, he loves to sit around and play his ipad, but he is always moving, so that knee immobilizer was torture.  He has been forced to move slowly, and when he gets going too fast, the immobilizer slides down and he has to stop and adjust it.  Isn't that just like life? We think we are in good shape, feeling better, and start off full sprint ahead.  God sees things differently, and slows us down.  Sometimes we're left completely immobile (Hence the be still and know I am God verse) and sometimes He just cautions us, but there are definitely times in our lives when we must move slowly.

Second, in PT, the phrase No Pain, No gain is popular.  Physical therapy hurts.  Anytime you are working an injured part, whether it has been bruised, broken, or torn, it's going to hurt.  If it doesn't hurt, you're probably not doing enough with it.  Caleb has struggled with this.  Today, at therapy, they were having him do an exercise where he held a pillow in between his knees and he got really frustrated at me.  "I'm squeezing, Mom... but it's hurting.  You don't understand."  (I did not point out to him that I did understand... that I had labored with him for a few hours and I'm sure it was a little more squeezing than a pillow... just saying).  Spiritual growth is hard, too.  Jesus said we'd have trouble, and sometimes we have to find our way through painful situations.  The good news is, He knows how we feel, and He is always there to go through our troubles with us.  And He doesn't even remind us of how bad He suffered!

I'm proud of my boy.  He's worked hard, and I know it's hard for him as a little kid.  God is good, and faithful through and through, even if it does hurt a little.