What’s weighing you down? What would you like to let go of?

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,  and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.  When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, ‘Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.’  

Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

We don’t know what was crippling the woman - it could have been a physical condition or an emotion like worry, stress, grief that weighed upon this woman.  Or a combination of the two.

When I looked at this week’s scripture, I stopped at  “immediately she straightened up and praised God.“  I have been weighed down by the physical pain of arthritis for many years.  I finally found something that helps me, and the physical and emotional relief that this has brought me feels no less than a modern miracle.  It has changed the way I pray.  I used to only look for Psalms of comfort and assurance and now I also look for Psalms of praise and thanksgiving, like Psalm 100.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 

Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

I am beginning to let go of the worry that this condition will worsen.  I have unclenched my fists a bit to notice, love, and trust that goodness is stronger than fear, evil and malice.  Praise God indeed!