Last Sunday during the Dolphins and Bills game, there was a troubling moment when Miami QB, Tua Tagovailoa, was slow to get up and then stumbled while trying to walk after hitting his head on the field. Despite looking like he was suffering from a concussion, he allegedly passed the evaluation that allowed him back in the game. Tua considered it a back injury. Fast forward a few days to Thursday Night Football and another scary scene took place as Tua once again hit his head on the ground. This time his hands contorted in a way that indicated he was having a neurological response to head trauma. He remained on the field for almost ten minutes before being put on a stretcher and taken to a hospital. He is now in concussion protocol, but thankfully, he was released and able to travel back home with the team. However, the reaction to what we saw last night leads to tons of questioning as to why he was even out there in the first place. Fans and media have been criticizing the Dolphins for allowing Tua to rush back out there after last week's apparent head injury because now things seem even worse for him. Injuries happen each week in the NFL, and many players are listed on the injury report as “questionable” because they were injured and may or may not be healthy enough to play in the game. The decision becomes whether to be tough, risk further injury, and play through pain, or be willing to take the necessary time off to heal. Players want to play because they’re competitive and have a persevering mentality, coaches need them on the field, and fans want them back out there. Sometimes players (or teams) will even hide their injuries or their severity, so they don't miss any time. The problem is, when a player like Tua has experienced trauma and been knocked around, he's not at full capacity. If players step onto the field already banged up, they can easily hurt something else or make the original injury worse and ultimately, prolong the healing process. This continually happens in sports because players want to rush back to help out their teams – even if they aren’t fully ready or at their best. However, this isn’t always the wisest decision when they haven’t gone through the proper healing process. In our own lives, being physically healthy is very important and so is being emotionally, spiritually, and mentally well. Unfortunately, life is busy and crazy, and even if we suffer in one of these areas we feel the pressure to “get back on the field” and keep going without experiencing the proper healing process. We sometimes "stumble around" but pretend we're not really hurt by hiding our "injuries" or pain. Rushing back and operating at less than our best can lead to further “injuries” that can also negatively affect our “team.” In many situations, hurt people tend to hurt people. The truth is, we’re not able to serve effectively or love as passionately or empathize well when an area of our health is sick or we’re “beat up” by life’s tough circumstances. This is especially true when we've experienced any kind of trauma. It can be frustrating to take a step back or might feel impossible to get out of the game for a while (there may not be a simple solution), but my encouragement for us today is to take our health (spiritual, mental, emotional) seriously and not always rush back or “play through injuries.” Yes, as followers of Jesus we are overcomers and want to persevere with His strength through challenges. No, we don't isolate ourselves completely, but we do need to slow down and discern when we need to take the necessary time off and “sit out for a game or two” so we can truly heal from what we’ve been through. We need to get the proper care. We must seek the Lord, patiently wait for His healing, and reach out for help from those who are equipped to do so. It's important to have trustworthy people in our lives who are willing to tell us when we're not okay and need to stay out of the game. The healing process may require taking a break from something, doing some soul searching, and getting honest before the Lord. Once we slow down and allow God to do His incredible work in our mind, body, and heart, we’ll be healthier and more effective to go out and do the work He’s called us to do. Psalm 147:3 (AMP) offers this encouragement: “He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds .” Isaiah 40:29 (NIV) assures us that “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Proverbs 3:7-8 (NIV) tells us, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” Proverbs 12:25 (AMP) says, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, But a good (encouraging) word makes it glad.” Today, let’s pursue restoration, healing, and the release of pain as we give our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies to the Lord. Through His strength, grace, love, and power we’ll be stronger than before…and fully ready to get back out on the field! I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help me not to be in denial of the pain I’m in, but rather go through the proper healing process with You. I don’t want my lack of healing to cause more pain, so please show me the steps I need to take. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. Which area of your health are you feeling the most pain right now?
2. How has improperly going through the healing process caused you more pain?
3. What would it look like for you to be emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically healthy?
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