Migraines Can Kiss My Grits.

I have suffered from migraine headaches since I was in middle school (around 5th grade). I don’t seem to have typical “oh, just turn of the lights and I’ll be okay in a few minutes” episodes. Mine are more symptomatic of a stroke – numbness in my fingertips, tongue feels swollen, side of my face gets numb, short term memory loss to top it all of (can’t remember my name, address, or form a sentence), excruciating pain and lots of nausea. I had a really good one while on a business trip in Park City, Utah. The Canyons Resort had just opened and I “lost my lunch” in one of their elevators. Was rushed to the ER, shot up with some Demerol and grabbed a the red-eye back to Cincy. Good times...

So there’s the setup. You can probably imagine after hearing that the spiritual root of migraines is Accusation (specifically, guilt over conflict), this session quickly became personal (in a good way). What I began to realize was that I could trace my many migraine episodes to unresolved conflict – either with myself or someone else. Very eager to walk out of this one. This weekend I was fortunate enough to have some conflict that wasn’t resolved quickly. Wouldn’t you know it, I began to get some numbness in my fingertips. Are you kidding me!!?? Took a couple of Advil and began looking over the cliff I was about to jump off. The conversation went something like this “you sucker, you’re about to drag your whole family (including newborn) into St. Luke’s ER...what an awesome dad, husband, and father you are.” Then it hit me...meditate on what the Lord says about me. So I went to my accusation notes and starting reading scripture over myself - Romans 8:31-35, Job 10:15, and finally the memory verse:

But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— Colossians 1:22

Over and over and over and over and over and over....I kept reading this and repeating - Lord, I am not accused. I reject you, Accusation. You have no authority here. I break you off and bind you up in the name of Jesus. I am reconciled by Christ’s physical body through death and am presented holy in his sight, without blemish and I am FREE of accusation.

And what started as a migraine...was washed away.

What did I learn? Aside from how much God loves me and how he loves to keep his promises and that I can take him at this word - as I was driving to work today, James 4:7-8 kept popping up for me.

...So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

I am not accused.

- from David Russell