Complacency

In his book Identity: Youth and Crisis, Erik Erikson tells a story he heard from a physician about an elderly man with a peculiar problem. The old man vomited every morning but had never felt any inclination to consult a doctor. Finally, the man’s family convinced him to get a checkup.

The doctor asked, “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” the man responded. “Couldn’t be better.”

The doctor examined him and found he was in good shape for his age.

Finally, the physician grew impatient and asked, “I hear that you vomit every morning.”

The old man looked surprised and said, “Sure. Doesn’t everybody?”

Like that elderly gentleman, we may not realize that the problems we bear daily are abnormal. We’ve lived with the problems for so long, we can’t imagine how life could be better.

I pray for each of us…may we pursue the help we need in order to experience a life of flourishing, Jesus’ “life to the full!”