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QaR
November 2009 
What is the relationship between health and spirituality?
Posted on Nov 8th, 2009
by 
AJ
AJ
This is in Response to the Questions and Reflections for November 08, 2009:
When I read this question, a story came to mind that I read as a child in one of my Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories volumes.
It was called The Man Who Couldn't Move, and it told about this man who was paralyzed from the shoulders down and was as helpless as a baby.
Sounds like a poster child for doctor-assisted suicide--Right?
Wrong--and he would be the first one to tell you so!
It's been awhile since I've read this story, but I don't believe than any explanation was given re: how this man became this way.
He might have never been a really physically-healthy person.
On the other hand, he might have been a star athlete at one time who was reduced to this state by a sports injury, car wreck, or being in the final stages of ALS.
He might have been somebody who could have--had this taken place in this day and age--taken home the prize on Dancing With The Stars or Survivor before he got into this condition.
Even if he weren't the best dancer, survivor, or athlete, I'm guessing that he probably lived a pretty full life at one time before ending up depending on others for everything.
There were ordinary things that most of us take for granted--and, likely, he did, too, before they were taken from him--that he probably missed, such as being able to wake up in the morning, get himself dressed, eat unassisted, and walk out of his house to drive to whatever job he had.
I know that I personally think back on those times of walking through the different parts of Mammoth Cave and how much fun it was. Even after all this time, I can still visualize the entire Historical Tour in my head and take it from beginning to end.
He probably had similar memories that he relived from time to time.
But this wasn't talked about in the story I read about him.
Instead, what was talked about was how he had been able to get access to a special, voice-activated telephone.
By using this phone, he had been able to continue to participate in the everyday goings on at the office where he had once worked--but this wasn't the only thing for which he used this phone.
Even more of the time, he used his phone to call and talk to people who needed someone to listen to them and cheer them up--people who were lonely for somebody with whom to carry on a conversation just to shoot the breeze, share their lives, and joke around. There were people who needed prayer, and he had all the time in the world to pray with them.
Although it would be an understatement to describe this man as being in very poor health, when it came to spirituality, this man really had it going on!
This story just goes to show that you don't have to be one of those people receiving a clean bill of health from your doctor in order to be a spiritual person.
However, I believe that being a spiritual person helped this man to better cope with the hand that he had been dealt.
It was called The Man Who Couldn't Move, and it told about this man who was paralyzed from the shoulders down and was as helpless as a baby.
Sounds like a poster child for doctor-assisted suicide--Right?
Wrong--and he would be the first one to tell you so!
It's been awhile since I've read this story, but I don't believe than any explanation was given re: how this man became this way.
He might have never been a really physically-healthy person.
On the other hand, he might have been a star athlete at one time who was reduced to this state by a sports injury, car wreck, or being in the final stages of ALS.
He might have been somebody who could have--had this taken place in this day and age--taken home the prize on Dancing With The Stars or Survivor before he got into this condition.
Even if he weren't the best dancer, survivor, or athlete, I'm guessing that he probably lived a pretty full life at one time before ending up depending on others for everything.
There were ordinary things that most of us take for granted--and, likely, he did, too, before they were taken from him--that he probably missed, such as being able to wake up in the morning, get himself dressed, eat unassisted, and walk out of his house to drive to whatever job he had.
I know that I personally think back on those times of walking through the different parts of Mammoth Cave and how much fun it was. Even after all this time, I can still visualize the entire Historical Tour in my head and take it from beginning to end.
He probably had similar memories that he relived from time to time.
But this wasn't talked about in the story I read about him.
Instead, what was talked about was how he had been able to get access to a special, voice-activated telephone.
By using this phone, he had been able to continue to participate in the everyday goings on at the office where he had once worked--but this wasn't the only thing for which he used this phone.
Even more of the time, he used his phone to call and talk to people who needed someone to listen to them and cheer them up--people who were lonely for somebody with whom to carry on a conversation just to shoot the breeze, share their lives, and joke around. There were people who needed prayer, and he had all the time in the world to pray with them.
Although it would be an understatement to describe this man as being in very poor health, when it came to spirituality, this man really had it going on!
This story just goes to show that you don't have to be one of those people receiving a clean bill of health from your doctor in order to be a spiritual person.
However, I believe that being a spiritual person helped this man to better cope with the hand that he had been dealt.
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