Finally, after five weeks, although back in my day it took longer, Theo is out of his cast! Through God’s impressive design, his bones have begun to fuse back together. It is amazing to see the X-rays; the breaks themselves look like they are being welded back together. It will take a few weeks before they are fully fused, and his arm will continue to straighten as he continues to grow, but the cast can be removed, and he can be unencumbered again.
As his cast was being cut off, the technician reassured him that there would be no pain while the cast was being removed. And besides a little buzzing and vibrating, Theo was fine. However, he advised that once the cast was off, Theo shouldn’t immediately try to stretch out his arm. The reason is that his joint and surrounding muscles had atrophied and stiffened while he was in the cast. If he were to stretch it out, it immediately would cause immense pain.
Sure enough, as Theo slowly stretched out his arm, you could see tears begin to well up in his eyes. Not using his appendage had certainly taken its toll. His doctor said it would take 7-10 days for this feeling to go away, and to only use it moderately for a time. Try telling that to an 8-year-old boy. They are almost always full throttle whether you like it or not.
Like our physical bodies, our spiritual lives can atrophy too. We can become stiff and out of joint. We can feel like we can’t move forward. What we should do is begin to use those muscles that we have neglected. In Ephesians 4, we see things that can become weak when we don’t use them.
Ephesians 4:15-16 “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
As we move forward, let us remember that drift and atrophy are not only physical realities but spiritual ones as well. It is easy to become complacent, to let our hearts and minds grow stiff from lack of use, or to drift from the habits and connections that keep us healthy in Christ. The remedy is not passive waiting, but an intentional commitment to growth and engagement—stretching ourselves even when it is uncomfortable, returning to the practices that strengthen our faith, and leaning into the community that surrounds us. May we continue to pursue spiritual vitality, so that, like Theo’s arm, we are restored, strengthened, and able to move freely in the life Christ has called us to.
Theo is in a rebuilding phase. His joints and bones are out of joint. Time will heal these things. For the body of Christ, our healing comes not only from physical growth, but it is dependent on whether we are connected to Christ in love. The entire body and every joint are fused in and through Christ. If you ever feel like your life is stiff and you are stuck… ensure you are moving in Christ.