Twinges

I knew it. I assumed this side table would come in a thin box with who knows how many pieces. 

And - I know me.  

I'm the one who scored in the lower 15 percentile within a category called "Mechanical Reasoning." Don't ask me to help you fix your car. I'd have to report you for acting in a self-harming manner!

I knew all this and ordered the furniture anyway because; It was priced right, and I'd been looking for a new home for my Canon printer. My current office desk is a banquet table which shakes to the tune of a 5.5 on the Richter scale when this computer peripheral is activated.

I unpacked this delivery yesterday and thought digging right in would be best. I began by purposefully spilling the contents gently on the floor. Yes ma'am. Lots of pieces. So, before going too far, I found the manual and started paging through it. 

The directions showed that I would need a hammer and two Phillips screwdrivers, and one of them should be short.

The author-inspired commentary placed throughout the booklet drew my attention.

• You could totally write a novel on this. 
• Just think. The sooner you do this, the sooner you do something else.
• Now might be a good time to refresh your drink.
• If you're doing this to help a friend, don't leave without a bite.
• And finally, Step 19 mentions, "This completes the assembly. Clean with a damp cloth. Wipe dry. And to celebrate, why not share your success story on the company website. But first, please read the back pages of the instruction booklet for important safety information.":

The back page says, "So how did it go?

• Set a world record for speed?
• Feeling good about yourself?
• Share your feelings on our social media.

Perhaps the company was being kind and encouraging by sprinkling a bit of humor throughout the process. I appreciated that, but I ended up somewhat more anxious than I was when I opened the box. That's just me, you understand.

I'll take a break here and try to finish this task. I'll either let you know how it went, or you can find me at that drink refreshment stage. Stay tuned.

Sunday.

The project was completed. There were no speed records set. However, I don't imagine that the manufacturer would care to learn exactly how long it took. I have rejected the invitation to share on social media and website as my way of being kind and encouraging in return. And who cares if the drawer doesn't work very well! I didn't plan to put the printer in a drawer after all.

Drawing to a close, and getting to the point, you'll discover that the focus today has little to do with the story you just read. I was simply in a mood to humorously confess one of my weaknesses.

But it's the weakness I need to discuss. The mechanical aptitude mentioned above? Well, I've never been worried about that - I make up for my lack of construction skills with other endowments. But there were a couple of times when I was surprised yesterday by physical weaknesses.

Apparently, when sitting on the floor in awkward positions for an extended length of time, muscles and tendons seem to lose some function. Changing from this you-can-do-it floor position to full height with the idea of taking a few steps might surprise one of well, my age at least. 

I heard no creaking, no cracking, and no popping. That's a relief. But I did have to catch myself as I felt a twinge from a leg that has always done well supporting me. This twinge clearly said, "Hey! I am NOT ready to take you anywhere just yet."

Within a few moments, both lower appendages agreed that walking was possible with no further consequences.

So, we're built with warning systems in place. 

• We immediately pull back from hot stoves before we touch them. 
• We immediately open our mouths and try to cool down that pizza cheese that sticks to the roof of our mouth. This one is less evolved as we are mostly too late to do much, however.
• Our bodies automatically respond with balance adjustments necessary to pull us back to prevent a fall from a steep cliff. And it's not just steep cliffs, they keep us balanced all the time.
• And, the twinges. Yes, I learned that these too warn us from serious injury.

I am grateful for these warnings as they try to keep me safe. I hope that I pay attention and learn from them. For instance, I have already learned about the stove (few make it past early childhood without encountering this one) and now I am aware that I need to give these old bones a moment before asking too much from them.

Of course, physical warnings that keep me safe are only a part of what I should be paying attention to. There are spiritual warnings as well. 

I think first of biblical warnings. 

• Although hyperbole is used, we are not to remove our eye if we stumble, but we are to see that what we are doing is causing harm to us spiritually.  Matthew 5:29-30. 
• And as a metaphor for ego and judgement, the apple from THAT tree must not be eaten. True today just as it has always been. Genesis 2:16-17
• Frequent sermons are based around Romans 6:23. We are all aware that death is our reward for sin.

Besides these kinds of alerts, I think I've been a party to a more direct, "HEY! Yes YOU! Stop that!" 

OK - true, it's not always some verbal shout that brings me from the brink of a cliff. Mostly, it's subtle. It's that nagging conscience reminding me to remember who I am, who I REALLY am. Not so very intrusive, it asks me quietly, "You sure you want to do this?"

• Sometimes, it's a closed door: That often repeated prayer that seems to have been denied.
• Sometimes, it's an open door:  A pathway to something unknown, but the call is firm. I might be afraid, but yet, something pulls me to walk through it.
• Sometimes, it's the unanswered prayer of deliverance. It's a wake-up call that says, "OK. You want God to handle it. Get out of the way, then!!"

None of these exhibited the automatic biological response of the body. But the truth of what I am thinking at this very moment is telling me that the response to spiritual warnings should be as spontaneous as the physical reactions. 

• They should pull me away from the spiritual cliffs without conscious thought. 
• They should teach me to learn from the twinge and get up a little more slowly from the awkward positions where I find myself. 
• They should help me to make better decisions to avoid catastrophe.

It appears to me that I need to cultivate a more intimate relationship with God. I really don't want to miss any of the spiritual twinges.

And yes, I know.  I owe you a short one next time.