Spoken 5: Natural Healing

botanical.com

It seems the 'natural' movement is bubbling all around me.  Austin loves natural food, natural oils, natural (fill in the blank).  I have friends and family members who are going all natural.  And although I love the idea, I don't love the time or the money involved.  But, man... part of me really desires to be a hippy gardener on a farm that wears big moo-moos and sun hats.  I would be really good at that.  Although, in my fantasy there are never rats, snakes, or sweat involved.  Yes for pigs and chickens, no for dogs and cats.  Yes for the big country kitchen and homemade bread.  Oh, and bee keeping so I can get my own honey.  I really do want to learn bee keeping.   No for the pounds I would amass from all my home cooking and baking.  Sigh...

I did just find a very natural/organic/herb hair product line that I loooove.  That should count for something, right?  But, in the end, my "health" regiment is governed by laziness, apathy and vacations.   I know what is good for me, but I keep on buying non-dairy creamer made with corn.  And bran cereal made with who knows what.



I'm not willing to make the sacrifices I could to be cleansed.

And even in my heart... intentions of spending my bath time looking over memory verse cards turns to reading a magazine.  A sweet time of corporate worship turns into judging hair styles.  An morning of writing my prayers turns into a list of complaints and grievances.  My soul-health regiment is governed by laziness, apathy and vacations.  Cleanse me, Oh Lord.


For one of my physical re-occurring issues, a familiar plant has come up.  Well, familiar in name only.  Hyssop.  It's a strong minty basil-ish herb that apparently makes tea which can heal all sorts things.  But people throughout history haven't just used it internally, though.

Say, if you were going to paint the blood of a perfect lamb over your door so that your first born son would live, you would use a spring of hyssop.

Or, if you were going to clean the blood from a guilt offering, you would use a sprig of hyssop.

Or, if you had leprosy and needed to be cleansed, you would use a sprig of hyssop.

If you were a priest, to be cleansed you would need to burn hyssop.

Or, if you were hanging on the cross and you were thirsty, you'd be offered a drink on a sprig of hyssop.

Jesus's thirst is part of my cleansing.  The selfishness, the bitterness, the pride.  My insistence that I get what I think I deserve.  My laziness.  My apathy.  Momentary vacations that let me worship me.  Oh, God.  The Sacrifice of His son to heal me.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7).