An Update On Health

THURS., NOV. 7, 1996, 2:15 PM
OFFICE, PULLIAM

Now that you’re back into the teaching mode of your professional role, and back from fine full days away (with a variety of adventures) it seems time for Me, the Holy Spirit to offer you (as the title says) an update on health. You know, of course, that one important reason for My “choosing” you for this “mission” of Ours was so that you could influence your field, even the secular aspects of it, toward a more holistic perception of health. It may even be time for Us to do another Ruminations on this theme. It’s a first suggestion, anyway.

One major difference between My perception of health and what is normative for your culture is in My concern primarily with spiritual health, and secondarily with environmental health. So… instead of these two dimensions being sort of “add ons” (“Oh, yes, spiritual health… whatever that is…”) I would like to see them as major focuses and concerns.

Spirit is vital, because it is your spirit that coordinates and balances the other, more traditional, dimensions of health. I tell you that your physical health is directly and constantly influenced, even determined, by your spirit. (Break) More obviously your emotions and your social interactions are healthier when your spirit is strong. And even your intellectual powers – learning, remembering, and applying knowledge – are in a better balance under the “supervision” of a mature spirit.

Your spirit, the active functioning of your immortal soul, is the real “you”, with knowledge of other experiences you’ve had, before this one as Bob Russell. As this spirit matures you become more intellectually aware of your total self, and your emotions are less influenced just by current situations and circumstances. Your spirit is more able to guide you into the best social relationships, and you were somewhat aware of this on this varied “trip” just completed.

Health is pretty much as you define it: the quality of your functioning as a whole person and the quality of your adapting in a variety of situations. It also includes your contributions to a better balance of all life forms and with this physical earth that, for now, is your “home”. With this addendum to the more classic and accepted definition of personal health you see that it would be more difficult to be totally healthy here in Carbondale than on your (Our) Farm… and even more difficult in communities like those in Southern California that you visited.

What is the “purpose” of health? It is a means for you to have a wide variety of life experiences, from which spirit doth grow and develop. You have had many experiences in your life this far that have been made possible by good health. You actively played football for 6 seasons because your body worked well, and wasn’t it a “healthy” experience to reunite with some teammates from those early years? Many recognized you as an apparently healthy 70 year old, despite the minor imperfections with which you now live. You were popular then, and, 50 years later, you are still popular and well-remembered.

Those who were at this gathering with rather obvious disabilities were displaying a form of good health – spirit and emotion/social capacities were partially negating the physical losses. Or, in your Wellsprings terms, human/spiritual interacting was a strong Wellspring of positive health.

Increasingly I want you to be aware of opportunities, in this last year of full-time teaching, to relate spiritually with learners. Some are seeking you now, and you must do important discerning (in which your spirit is the main “recognizer”) which ones’ spirits should be cultivated and “interacted with”. After this year these opportunities will diminish… almost disappear.

Then you’ll move into another manifestation of health. You’ll have more interaction with “nature” and more time to read, contemplate, and absorb more of My teachings to you. You’ll do more than just reread these. The spirit and the contents will have a greater influence on how you think and “What is health” for you.