Spiritual Backbone

When I last visited the chiropractor, he demonstrated for me the reason many people suffer back pain and stiffness. It’s all about posture.

I thought I knew what he was going to say, because I’ve heard it since I was a kid: “Sit up straight.”

But the chiropractor surprised me with a more vivid application. Sitting on the edge of a chair, he curled into himself, drooped his arms and shoulders forward, hunched his back, and dropped his head.

“This is how people sit,” he said. “And this is how they should sit.”

With that, he raised his head, extended his back and lifted both arms as if opening himself up to the world. It was the perfect position of praise.

Even in the physical world, we see a picture of a healthier spiritual posture: open, looking upward, arms wide to receive the blessings of God.

This little display made me wonder how my spirit looks to the Mender of my soul. Am I turned in upon myself, or am I open, looking upward, and praising him for all he’s done?

Perhaps a little more praise and gratitude will improve my gaze and attitude, and give me the strong spiritual backbone that I need.