Back in style

So, after weeks of excruciating back pain and headaches, I took the advice of my good friend Laura and went to see her chiropractor. Naturally, the first thing he wanted to do was take a series of X-rays, and not actually do anything about the torment I was living with (after a very painful analyzation of my back trying to move vertebrae that refuse to move). This was on Thursday of last week. After much convincing, I let him take the X-rays. I have a thing about artifical chemicals as well as radiation, but I think he made a good point.

Friday something wonderful happened. I went to the Naturally Supernatural conference that was being hosted in Cambridge. It was really freaking awesome. I met this wonderful woman from Ingersoll with whom I connected in about a million ways. She has kids, the last one was born at home, she's worked in Africa, she knows all about deserts and ground water (slightly random, I'll admit), her husband's a YWAMer, she lives in the next town over from my in-laws! So that was really awesome to meet her. I'm looking forward to spending more time with her, meeting her kids and her midwife.

Saturday we went to see the Raptors play. That was pretty cool. I love the mascot; he rocks. Then we went out to Mum & Dad's for some old-fashioned turkey goodness and hanging out with our little brothers. Did I mention I was still in horrible pain? It was almost impossible to sit through the conference on Friday (only a few hours each session), and Saturday it was worse; I could even feel the pain all through my hips and collarbone. Ouch? Yes.

Sunday we went to church where a lot of suprising things happened. It's difficult to articulate it all, but here's the really cool part. After the service I stood up to receive some prayer for my insanely angry back. It was worse than it ever has been on Sunday morning; I could hardly bend over to put on my shoes. That's pretty extreme, eh? I do African dance and carry buckets of water on my head and climb mountains in flip flops, and I could barely bend in half for fifteen seconds. Meanwhile, at church, people are praying for me. And it was good, but it wasn't making a difference. It was nice, emotionally, to see the people cared about me and wanted me to be getting on to that abundant part of this life we always talk about. But I couldn't stand up straight. I was leaning on Jason, clenching my teeth and hoping for relief. And the most amazing thing happened (well, not the MOST amazing ever, but it was really freaking amazing for me). One of the people as they began to pray for me felt my pain in his own back. I could tell because he kept saying "Ouch! That hurts! That really hurts! Ow!"

I don't know if that's ever happened to you, but I know it happens to some people when they pray for someone else. Me, I usually feel people's emotional pain and suffering and brokenheartedness. More honestly, I feel that when I'm just speaking to them, or sometimes just looking at them. It's a gift. It's part of intercession, to really know what you're praying for that person.

Anyway, God gave this guy that particular gift of intercession as he prayed for me. That's when I began to weep, because at last someone knew what I was feeling. It's difficult to articulate the general back pain and almost fear of movement I'd been living with for the past few months. But there it was. It was God saying He cared so much about me He'd let other people in on the secret of my pain. Maybe not secret, more like intensity. But it's the same thing when you can't paint a word picture for people, isn't it? And then as these awesome friends prayed for me, it started. The pain began leaving. Little by little, area by area of my back until I was free. I was feeling so good when we left, I nearly bounced off the walls of our apartment. And I felt good all that night.

And Monday.

And Tuesday, when I finally saw my chiropractor again and he showed me my X-rays. My back isn't better, but I'm free from pain. Most of my spine is okay, except a few vertebrae out of joint, but my lower back looks perfect. And my neck is a train wreck--did you know your spine is supposed to curve from your shoulders to your skull? It is. Mine isn't curved. It's straight. Hence the several weeks of excruciating headaches and all. But the doctor says he's certain he can fix me, and I think I may as well get things straightened out (or in my case, curved) now so I can live the next seventy years with a sound back, eh? It's a bit crazy to think about how long we're living now with all the extra wear-and-tear our modern lifestyles take on our bodies.

So there you have it. My news, just like that. Also, my job thingys have been going well. I have another interview in two weeks, which means this process is coming to an end. Thank the Lord! Mas en la semana proxima......