Relief vs. Healing

I've had a cold for the past few days. When I get a basic cold, I get dayquil for the daytime and nyquil for the night. The nyquil leaves me completely wasted, which is great when I am about to go to bed. I have no problems with nyquil.

My problem is with dayquil. It touts itself as a "non-drowsy" medication, but I have found that claim to be quite misleading. When I take dayquil, I may not necessarily be sleepy, but I'm still sluggish both mentally and physically. However, I do feel better, so I live with this haze. I know no better way to find relief, and as far as I know, the common cold is pretty much gonna run it's course no matter what I do. I just rest as much as possible and wait it out.

Now, I'd be pretty stupid if I took this approach with every sickness or injury I had. Everyone knows that two or three ibuprofens won't do much for kidney stones or appendicites. Everyone, with the exception of some athletic trainers, knows that ice alone won't heal broken bones or torn ligaments. There are certain steps needed for healing in each of these cases. Bones need to be set and immobilized for proper healing to begin. That appendix and those kidney stones need to be taken out. No questions asked.

Dayquil won't heal a broken leg.

Yet, I sometimes take the dayquil approach to my spiritual life. I know that my spirit is hurting, that I am broken, and that healing can only be found in who God is. But I am stubborn, and I try to find solace in the arms of a friend, or a "friend". I try to find relationship and purpose in things of this world, and because God has blessed me so much, I am usually fairly successful in finding temporary, 4 hour relief for my pain.

It isn't healing, though. It is temporary relief, and it leaves me in a haze, almost numb to life. It is a sad state, because God has blessed me with an amazing life that I should be enjoying "to the fullest" and "abundantly". When I am all here... when I am whole and I get to experience this life for all that it is... I am amazed. Amazed that God would bless me so much. Amazed that I could be so dumb.

I wrote a line in a song a couple of years back. It went:

imprisoned in my lust and anger
selfishness and greed.
I'm tired of these medicines;
it's freedom that I need.

Freedom... healing... I need it, constantly. We all do. We live in a broken world. We are constantly bombarded with a sick, contagious world, and we weren't created to live in our own little bubble. We weren't created for quarantine. We were created for complete, total, constant healing.

This is what's been going through my mind all week. Relief vs. Healing. And I've come to this conclusion:

Healing > Relief