Becoming Nearly Perfect! Breaking Free From A World Of Illusion
In the iconic hockey movie, Mystery Alaska, Burt Reynold’s character Judge Walter Burns suggests, “We have two things in Mystery, our integrity and our illusions; I suggest we hang on to them both.”
When you meet a person, the question that usually arises is, “How are you doing?” or “How’s everything going?”, or “How was your day, trip, month, flight, ride, year, meal...?” We’re probably asked one of these compelling questions 1000s of times per year.
My answer to these probing inquires is always a happy, positive: “Near Perfect,” “Blessed,” “Excellent,” “Awesome,” “Great,” or some combination of the 5.
In my various meetings, occasionally someone notices that I always say things are good and they wonder how I manage to lead such a blessed life where nothing ever goes wrong. I had a call from an old friend who started out with the standard, “How are you doing?” question and I gave one of my stock “Blessed” answers. He proceeded to ask me about my family and he learned that we had recently had a death in our family and one of my kids was expressing symptoms (What non-chiropractors call “sick”).
My family challenges prompted him to ask, “How can you say you’re blessed when obviously many things in my life are not?”
There is an old joke that goes, “Worrying works because 99% of the things I worry about never happen.”
The fact is, everything I ever stressed or worried about along the pathway of my life seemed insurmountable at the time. I’ve been in lines I never thought would end and had pain I never dreamed would subside. However, eventually, you always reach the front of the line and whatever dilemma I was in passed without the world coming to a halt or leaving me without enough money for food or shelter.
One of my life-leading scriptures is 1 Cor 10:13. I like this translation which says, “Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.”
I realize that many of us struggle with something very real and lasting. The illusion is that God will not help you to endure, give you the strength to sustain, and offer a way out.
My father was not one to shovel out a lot of advice. However, he taught me something about illusion I shall not soon forget. I was stressed out of my mind studying for finals my freshman year in college. As was my penchant at the time, I had waited to prepare until the last minute which meant no sleep and jolting my body with coffee and junk food to keep going. I did not think I would make it through the all-nighters, caffeine and sugar experiments, or cold showers another second. I felt like I would fail for sure and need to repeat freshmen biology and chemistry. A fate that appeared worse than death at that moment. Just as I was contemplating whether or not I should commit harry-carry with my protractor or consider the possibility of washing dishes the rest of my life, my father called. He said, “Stop killing yourself over this. Just work as hard as you can and then there is nothing else you can do.”
The bottom line is, it’s all in God, our Father’s hands any way. Even when my dad died very young, the ultimate-permanent stress, and I thought I couldn’t go on, God eventually changed my perspective and offered me a way out of my pain.
One of our chiropractic patriarchs is Dr. Sid Williams. He taught me that when someone asks you how you’re doing say, “Nearly perfect, nearly perfect, thank God Almighty I am nearly perfect!.” He said to say this even if you’re under the illusion that you’re not.
DON’T WORRY:
Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Have fun saving the world,
Dr. Ben