Soul Food Revolution

Today I’m thinking about 2 words. One of them often used, or mis-used, the other only heard in certain arenas of life. The 2 words that are coming to mind are: recovery and deliverance. Recovery is a word that you hear used in the medical field quite often. Maybe you had surgery and have been assigned a room in the recovery wing. Possibly you were an addict of some sort and can tell the story that on July 2, 1998 you began your recovery from alcohol. You were watching Fox News last night and they mentioned that our economy is showing signs of recovery. I would guess that most of us hear the word recovery often. Which brings us to the word deliverance. When was the last time you heard the word deliverance used, outside of that religious, makeup wearing guy in the fancy suit on TV? Maybe your family recently added a member, that baby was delivered. Possibly UPS just delivered a package to your front door. Are Friday nights the night you have pizza delivered to your doorstep? Recovery and deliverance.

In thinking of these 2 words, I began to seriously analyze and study them. I began to ask myself, ‘what are their meanings?’ Without looking up Webster’s or clicking on Wikipedia, I used my simple common sense to come to this rationalization: Recovery is totally based upon my own power. Deliverance is based upon something greater than me. In other words, when it comes to recovery, the healing is based on what I do. I don’t have to depend on someone else. I overcome whatever is happening to me on my own. Deliverance is totally the opposite. When it comes to deliverance I must depend on something greater. Whether it be for healing or for that pizza being delivered, I must depend on something or someone else. Deliverance is out of my control. Oh I can pick up the phone, order the pizza and HOPE it gets to my door! But in reality it’s not up to me for the pizza to get delivered. Recovery is different in this way. When I had my knee rebuilt I had an option, do rehab or not. My knee recovering was up to me.

I say all of this to ask you another question: which would you rather have? Recovery or deliverance? I know that our human pride shouts, “I want recovery! I can work hard and do it on my own!” But in the long run….is that really what is the most healthy? Or would it be more beneficial to depend upon deliverance, true healing? Friends, our ecomony can RECOVER, but it doesn’t make us any more healthy. My knee can recover and I can keep working hard to stay in shape physically, that doesn’t mean I’m fit mentally or spiritually. I don’t know how you feel, but I’m really tired of recovering, and the signs are showing it. I’m ready to be delivered.