Choose to Move

I just came out of surgery. Going in wasn’t hard. I felt mostly well. I could move all my limbs. I could feel all my limbs. I was joking with the nursing staff. They gave me the “happy medicine,” which felt like pudding flowing through my head. Life became even easier and the experience nearly enjoyable. Coming out of surgery was a different story. I felt like I was out of body. I couldn’t move my limbs. I couldn’t feel my limbs. I was scared. The happy medicine no longer took the edge off my experience, and I was starting to feel pain. Did I mention, I couldn’t move?
[Watch this post: https://youtu.be/2mHpoLAPEZQ]

How can a person go into a relatively simple surgery and come out paralyzed? I don’t know, but it happened to me. On top of all this, the nurses began to argue with me:
Them: “Mr. Hurlbut. Can you please move over into the chair?”
Me: “I can’t move.”
Them: “Yes you can. Just move over into the chair.”
Me: “I told you, I CAN’T move!”
Them: “YES YOU CAN! MOVE over into the chair, Mr. Hurlbut!”
Me: “YOU AREN’T LISTENING TO ME! I CAN’T MOVE MY BODY.”
Them: “YOU CAN! Just tell your body to move and it will.”



So literally, I though to my self, “I can move. I can move. I can move.” I tried and I COULDN’T move. So I focused on my right arm alone. I told myself, “I can move my arm. Arm move!” and I just focused on that one action. In a few moments, I somehow figured out how to make my right arm move, and I repeated that process with my left arm. After I figured out how to instinctively make my arms move, the rest of my body followed along with much less difficulty.

You may not believe this account, but it’s 100% true. I had to tell my body it could move: first one appendage and then another until I could get the whole in motion.

What is paralyzing you? What primitive surgery process has knocked you out, stuck its knife in you and left you paralyzed when it was done? What is stopping you from moving your arm to reach out and touch a dream, deal with a fear, from begging God for deliverance from some demon that constantly plagues you? What is stopping you from having THAT conversation? From apologizing to someone you’ve hurt? From seeing yourself honestly: good or bad? You are made in the image of God. You’re not powerless. You’re not helpless. You’re not paralyzed. If you feel that way, it’s likely that you are paralyzed by fear, not the knife that cut into you. Your fear seems debilitating, but it's not. Be bold, have faith in God, trust that you are stronger than you think. Whatever it is, whether your freedom or your success, is within your reach: get it in your head you CAN move; move something; and, the rest of YOU will follow!

Comments

Anonymous said…
how about when your own brain act like the sheriff the judge and the jailer able to keep you under house arrest for almost 10 years? what do you do?
Buck said…
When your thoughts work as the sheriff, judge and jailer; there is freedom. Email me at bucksblog at bigmeaning (dot) com and we can have a longer conversation.

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