Now I can carry things, even spillable things like a cup of coffee, without worry. I can do some cooking and cleaning, and I can get up and down the stairs without doing the "butt-scootin' boogie." This good news from the doctor was the key that unlocked the cell of uselessnes, and it feels wonderful.
However, this morning as I was preparing for the day, I reached for my second crutch, out of habit, and that got me thinking. What if I ignored my doctor's words? What if I chose to continue being helpless and mostly useless? After all, I have weakened considerably in the last month and a half, and taking on chores again is extra difficult. And besides, using two crutches feels much safer.
Silly, isn't it? But isn't that what I do when I ignore the freedom trom sin that Jesus paid for with his life and continue my bad habits? There are certain crutches of bondage in my life that I hold onto, even though I have received the Good News that Jesus has freed me. St. Paul wrote about his struggle in Romans 7, and I've always identified with that passage. I guess I want this freedom to be effortless, but of course it is not. But it is available, and I would be silly to keep ignoring it.
How about you? Do you have areas where bondage is more comfortable than freedom? I'd love to hear from you.