I’ve had a wonderful opportunity to spend some time with students at North Greenville University over the last two weeks. The school, affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention, is tucked up against the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains about a short drive south of Asheville and southwest of Charlotte, NC.
I was fortunate to spend two class periods with 12 students discussing spiritual fitness and wellness as Terry Sellers, a professor in the Science and Biology department, asked me to supplement his course, ‘Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Wellness’ with my material. For the most part, I used content from the workshop package “Your Personal Wellness – What’s Faith Got to Do with It?”
I am encouraged that the students were very interested in discussing how the spiritual, emotional and physical aspects of health and wellness are intertwined. They appreciated the opportunity to take the Spiritual Fitness Assessment that I’ve developed and talk about the relevance of the various Spiritual Exercises in their personal lives. As a followup discussion to that, we spent most of the second class discussing how the application of other Christian principles might affect their emotional and physical health. We used the poster presentation I made at this year’s annual meeting of the Society of Spirituality, Theology and Health as a springboard for this discussion. They had a difficult time selecting the 10 most relevant principles of the 41 I identified in my presentation. It made for a lively and worthwhile discussion!
As I think about my time with these young adults, I am encouraged that they had some time dedicated to reflect on and discuss the interrelated nature of our spirit, soul and body and the relevance to their personal lives. I’m also thankful that the professor and the school leadership made a decision to dedicate some time for this topic.
The discussions I was able to have with Terry before and after the classes were also insightful and helpful to me as, among other things, we talked about ways that I might go deeper with the insight that God has given me in the area of spiritual fitness.
Dale was so gracious to share his insight into this mesh that makes up our health.
He used a word picture that I will not forget. Our lives as Christians are not compartmentalized. We are not composed as silos, i.e. one silo doesn’t hold our emotions, another silo our mental health, another silo our realationship with God, etc.
I coninued developing that word picture. We are an old fashioned barn with animals, tractors, farm equipment and when we use all the tools, seeds, fertilizer, etc., to lift a line from Sweet Home Alabama, we can produce the best plum jam in four counties.
Thanks again for your investment in all of our lives. I feel sure that eternal changes in our spiritual maturity have been prompted by your sharing with us.
Thanks for visiting our class and giving me a new outlook on many areas of life. You helped me realize which parts I needed to work on. Thanks also for the material. It will be used again. Hope your ministry continues to influence and grow!