Thankful to be embodied

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Almost Advent

Tomorrow I will wake up to a day of ZERO plans. ZERO appointments. ZERO Drs. And this, my friends, hasn’t happened in many moons. For the past couple of months, I’ve been pursuing a treatment for my Long Covid that is fairly time intensive (2-3 hrs/day x 5 days/wk x 8 weeks).

I’m thankful to be able to do this treatment. Not everyone has the resources and support it takes to access experimental treatments. Thank you for all who have helped me. You know who you are.

As I sit here and type this, what's going on in my body is fairly unchanged. When my Dr asks for an update, many of the physical symptoms will remain unchanged. Somehow, though, something in my mind has shifted. And I have found corners of myself that I didn’t even realize I’d been cut off from. I am beyond thankful. I am thankful for this amazing body doing the best it can to keep me safe. I am thankful for this brain that houses my mind.

Today, I am thankful to be embodied.

I am thankful that I exist inside a body and thankful I exist inside of this body. Because I am embodied I can taste the food I eat today and feel pleasure. I can cozy up in my perfect bed and feel my perfect comforter warm me. I can breathe in deeply and feel the air in my lungs. I can cry to help my brain heal from loss and yawn to help it release stress and trauma. And maybe my favorite of all - because I am embodied I sit in a room with the people I love and be physically present with them. I can touch the people I love. I can be touched by them.

Do you remember how there was a time we couldn’t do that? Our spirits and minds might have been able to greet one another virtually, but our bodies - they couldn’t participate. And now they can. Isn’t it amazing to be embodied?

It has its hindrances for sure: being wrapped in flesh. When Jesus opted for it, He gave up a lot. But He gained things too. The ability to touch, to hold, to be with people for the first time.

Which I guess should be a segway to promo our Advent Guide, (which is about Jesus sharing in our experiences and is available as a pdf this year at Advent22.com), but really - I hope it’s a promo for you to just be embodied with your people tomorrow. Notice what it is like to be together. Physically. When you go to bed tonight, notice how your body feels. If you hug people tomorrow, notice how they feel in your arms. If you step outside, notice the feel of the chill on your skin.

Be with your body. It is good to be embodied.