What Is Wellness?

FRI., MAY 1, 1992, 5:57 AM
FARM, STUDY

Wellness is just another term for positive health, but… does it have some special connotations? You don’t need any more information for your upcoming short presentation, but, who knows? I may offer you some ideas over these next few days that will sneak into what you actually say. Develop the use of “Desert Pete”. That’s a thought I started in you.

Using your terms, wellness is a state of being fully functional and capable of much adaptation. Using My terms wellness is having your hand firmly in Mine, hearing Me often, and living earth life in both a light and a dedicated way. Spiritual wellness means that you do take life seriously, accepting challenges and offering your time and talents for the good of others. It also means that you see life as fun, a unique part of a much longer spiritual adventure… a dance, a romp. Wellness is being able to balance these almost opposite perspectives in ways that are good for you and for others with whom you associate.

Wellness, from the perspective of the church, means that you participate regularly and actively in worship, because you really want to. It means that you volunteer for tasks, as you just did, that enhance the church’s life… that you give to the church from your means, the first gift, to Me… that you involve yourself in study of the Scriptures or of some application of these to earth life. A well functioning church is well populated with well people. Yes!

Wellness is partly a matter of chance. I do not personally and purposely guide the conception process of every human in the earth, even of every Christian. From this union of two germ cells comes, sometimes, potential weakness and, other times, potential strength. Some babies are born unwell and never achieve much wellness in their length of life. At the other extreme are babies, strong from conception, who live long, healthy lives, almost unaffected by lifestyle. Most, of course, are some combination of strength and weakness, which must be adapted to the environments in which they live, which, initially, in not of their choosing.

Wellness is partly a matter of a good “fit” with your total environment. You would not be as well as you are if you were living in the midst of a large city… or if you had to commute to work over traffic-clogged freeways… or if your job were one not pleasing to you. Part of the wellness environment in which you find yourself is the result of good choices on your part and also good adaptation by you. And, in your case, I also have been and am somewhat involved.

As you demonstrate, wellness is accepting that you have some temporary illness, such as a cold, continuing to function as a well person, which encourages the work of the immune system, which overcomes the “intruder” in a minimum time. You note that when you have to teach or perform your body generally suppresses the symptoms during these special times, an indication of wellness. Wellness also was exhibited in your body’s slow return to full function in your foot and shoulder. You focused on spirit, and the healing of your body was enhanced. You shall have more of these in these last years of your life.