Do you know that....... ?

I was just recently at my G.P.’s for that ‘dreaded’ annual physical when I learned something absolutely amazing – at least it was to me! When I commented on my loss of height during the past 12 months, his response was “Last year you were here in the morning not the afternoon and you are just seeing the result of gravity on your body. Everyone loses just under an inch every day.” What an amazing concept!

 As soon as I got back to my computer, I ‘googled’ it and here is what I found ~

"Perhaps the most noticeable effect of gravity on the body is compression of the spine. Our spine consists of vertebrae and sponge-like discs. The downward force of gravity causes the discs t lose moisture throughout the day, resulting in a daily height loss of up to 1/2" - 3/4 "! The moisture returns to the disc overnight, but not 100%. Over a lifetime, a person can permanently lose between 1/2" - 2" in height!" [www.evoluntionhealth.com] 

WOW! Who knew!  Soooo, being a ‘good librarian’ I checked some other websites as well [including the New York Times], only to find, that this is apparently a well-documented fact. This got me thinking of what else might impact on me, without my being aware of the effect: things like lack of sunlight, a full moon, someone else’s mood, lack of caffeine, dull grey skies, a howling wind, stress, the food I eat. These may cause me to be irritable, tired, develop high blood pressure or cholesterol, become depressed or just shrink!  In truth, many things, known and unknown, shape our days.

In the same way, does my concept of ‘God” shape my day? I believe it does in a very telling way. If I am impatient, angry, thoughtless, unkind or selfish, my ‘God’ is also.  If I need more of money or possessions, my ‘God’ is the God of scarcity. If I am afraid of what might happen in the future, my ‘God’ is a God of the future not the present.

 If I can hold back that unkind word, look that homeless person in the eye, speak up at the racial slur, my ‘God’ is a God of compassion and inclusiveness. If I always have more than enough of money and ‘stuff’ for my needs, then my ‘God’ is a God of abundance. When I am able to let go of the past and stop worrying about what the future might hold, then my ‘God’ is the God of the here and now.

How I act, not what I say I believe, tells others just who my ‘God’ really is. Who has your ‘God’ been today?