Wednesday,
September 14, 2011
My mind has been whirling lately. Things are going well and
although my schedule these next 3 weeks is way too full and I am extremely
overextended, I am handling it all nicely. (I know wait until tomorrow,
anything can happen) But in reality, I am relaxed about it, probably more than
I have ever been during a period of tremendous busy-ness and stressful
scheduling. I think I am finally able to see the correct perspective of what is
truly important in life. So some things may not get done, some things may flop
when they should fly, but who cares in the whole scheme of things it is people
who matter not the dusting, or laundry; not the perfect hairdo or even that
everything planned goes as such. There will be wrinkles in the schedule and I
will just have to grab hold of it, shake it out and smile. That said--what I
have been thinking about......
It has bothered me that I have, after all these years of stress with our family situation, at this time started to suffer from anxiety. During the tumultuous teen rebellion years I was able to get through without physical signs of stress, now I have these horrible sweats. Yes, I know, my age--menopause you say. That is precisely what the doctor has said. I say maybe, but my husband and I have noticed the sweating is centered around times of greatest stress. Such as when I am fearing a disruption of mega means in my grandchild's life. We traced back the beginning of the sweats to when Mommy and child moved out the first time, then as things became more difficult this year they came back. So I believe they are stress related, I can also sometimes shut them off by consciously relaxing and thinking on good things. The point here though, is the other night I was thinking about how Scriptures tells me I need to give everything over to God and be anxious for nothing.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6). Well I have given it over to God, but am unable to control these involuntary reactions He designed my body to exhibit. So I was feeling pretty bad and getting down on myself. Then the other night on my way home from class, as I was thinking and praying, I believe God brought to my mind this healing thought, Jesus felt anxiety, He sweat drops of blood when the time came to be given over for the crucifixion. My Savior knows what I feel. Now before anyone gets indignant, I do realize that crucifixion is a far greater agony than what I am feeling. Yet this is my cross, and I have taken it up to follow Him. I can't do that unless I can see His example. I see it in His being able to feel agony as I feel, Scripture tells me in Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin." And in addition Isaiah 53:4-5,"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,yet we considered him stricken by God,smitten by him, and afflicted.But he was pierced for our transgressions,he was crushed for our iniquities;the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,and by his wounds we are healed." So I am feeling a bit less stressed knowing Jesus knows exactly why and how I am feeling. I can more easily share my burden with Him because I truly understand it is okay to feel what I am feeling. As He suffered because He loves us, I suffer because I love this grandchild and want what is best for her. It is okay to suffer in my own body for another. Thank you Jesus for your suffering on my behalf, I am humbled once again as I think on these things.
Following is something I found when I was looking up the verses for this blog entry, you may want to check it out from "Hannah's Cupboard" by Barbara Lardinais
http://www.hannahscupboard.com/ST-sweat-blood.html
The drops of blood that Jesus sweat in the Garden of Gethsemane surely fulfills "the anguish of His soul" that Isaiah spoke of. We are told of this incident only in the gospel of Luke. That seems appropriate because Luke was a physician and he would have been very interested in medical details.
"And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground." (Luke 22:44) Jesus had gone to the garden with his disciples after the Last Supper. He knew that this was it! His mission was getting ready to be fulfilled. He would be betrayed and arrested in the garden. His disciples would run off and desert him. This was the countdown to his excruciating death on the cross.
Sweating drops of blood is not unknown in medicine but it is a rare occurrence. The clinical word for it is "hematohidrosis". It can happen when the blood vessels around the sweat glands constrict (due to extreme stress) and then dilate to the point of rupture. The blood is released from the body through the sweat glands.
Next: Why did this happen to Jesus?
It has bothered me that I have, after all these years of stress with our family situation, at this time started to suffer from anxiety. During the tumultuous teen rebellion years I was able to get through without physical signs of stress, now I have these horrible sweats. Yes, I know, my age--menopause you say. That is precisely what the doctor has said. I say maybe, but my husband and I have noticed the sweating is centered around times of greatest stress. Such as when I am fearing a disruption of mega means in my grandchild's life. We traced back the beginning of the sweats to when Mommy and child moved out the first time, then as things became more difficult this year they came back. So I believe they are stress related, I can also sometimes shut them off by consciously relaxing and thinking on good things. The point here though, is the other night I was thinking about how Scriptures tells me I need to give everything over to God and be anxious for nothing.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6). Well I have given it over to God, but am unable to control these involuntary reactions He designed my body to exhibit. So I was feeling pretty bad and getting down on myself. Then the other night on my way home from class, as I was thinking and praying, I believe God brought to my mind this healing thought, Jesus felt anxiety, He sweat drops of blood when the time came to be given over for the crucifixion. My Savior knows what I feel. Now before anyone gets indignant, I do realize that crucifixion is a far greater agony than what I am feeling. Yet this is my cross, and I have taken it up to follow Him. I can't do that unless I can see His example. I see it in His being able to feel agony as I feel, Scripture tells me in Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin." And in addition Isaiah 53:4-5,"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,yet we considered him stricken by God,smitten by him, and afflicted.But he was pierced for our transgressions,he was crushed for our iniquities;the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,and by his wounds we are healed." So I am feeling a bit less stressed knowing Jesus knows exactly why and how I am feeling. I can more easily share my burden with Him because I truly understand it is okay to feel what I am feeling. As He suffered because He loves us, I suffer because I love this grandchild and want what is best for her. It is okay to suffer in my own body for another. Thank you Jesus for your suffering on my behalf, I am humbled once again as I think on these things.
Following is something I found when I was looking up the verses for this blog entry, you may want to check it out from "Hannah's Cupboard" by Barbara Lardinais
http://www.hannahscupboard.com/ST-sweat-blood.html
The drops of blood that Jesus sweat in the Garden of Gethsemane surely fulfills "the anguish of His soul" that Isaiah spoke of. We are told of this incident only in the gospel of Luke. That seems appropriate because Luke was a physician and he would have been very interested in medical details.
"And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground." (Luke 22:44) Jesus had gone to the garden with his disciples after the Last Supper. He knew that this was it! His mission was getting ready to be fulfilled. He would be betrayed and arrested in the garden. His disciples would run off and desert him. This was the countdown to his excruciating death on the cross.
Sweating drops of blood is not unknown in medicine but it is a rare occurrence. The clinical word for it is "hematohidrosis". It can happen when the blood vessels around the sweat glands constrict (due to extreme stress) and then dilate to the point of rupture. The blood is released from the body through the sweat glands.
Next: Why did this happen to Jesus?
The Two
Gardens (Part 2)
The fact that Jesus sweat drops of blood is an indication to us of how
severe his suffering was. It points to the fact that besides being fully God,
he was fully man. He did not use his Godhood to evade or sidestep any of the
pain he was about to undergo. He FELT it all in his physical body and knowing what
was coming was extreme anguish in his mind and emotions.
+http://www.hannahscupboard.com/ST-sweat-blood.html
+http://www.hannahscupboard.com/ST-sweat-blood.html
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