Allergic to Sight

A funny thing happened the other day at Vanderbilt. First, let me give you a bit of background info.

I am gratefully part of an investigational study into a new treatment that promises to boost my immune system to the place where it can fight effectively the type of cancer I have. Wednesday was my first treatment day.

I had an allergic reaction to the drug. I started seeing stars before my eyes, got dizzy, and felt like I was fainting.

The funny thing is, the reaction was not unexpected by the incredibly competent medical crew surrounding me. Part of an investigational study is to watch for these things, to document them, and to learn from them so to know how future patients might react to the drug, and what can be done proactively to keep the side effects at bay.

In my case, they will simply give me some preventative medication next week before we start the infusion. I took a slew of pretreatment medications prior to all of my 59 Chemo treatments. When THEY were in the trial stage, this is how they learned to give them to patients like me so that we would not get unduly nauseated or have allergic reactions to the treatments.

Here is my spiritual point. As fallen humans, it is natural for our flesh to have an allergic reaction to the presence of Holy God. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is not surprised by our fleshly reaction to His love, His power, His goodness. He is the cure and the healing we need—yet our flesh fights Him all the way…

Here is the next point: The Lord is not put off with us for having allergic reactions! He knows our condition, and the certain fallenness of our flesh. That is why we will get a new body to go with our perfected soul and perfect spirit. The Lord became human. He understands the battle we fight with our own “body of death.” Yet He loves us despite our allergy…to Him!

Holy Spirit Grace allows us to receive doses of transforming love when our bodies can’t handle it. Spiritual disciplines like fasting, prayer, worship, and Word soften our flesh up to receive the “Balm of Gilead.” Father’s love calms our fears and allows us to believe that God really is ALWAYS for us and for our healing!

Had an allergic reaction lately to the presence of the Lord? Quit beating up on yourself—that is completely useless. Instead, allow the Lord to pretreat you, to love on you, to calm you, to “Balm” you, to call you by name, and to administer exactly what you need to be made more and more whole!