What’s your stool softener in life?

By Joy Le Page Smith, MA, BCC

Now, don’t get too excited. Our community is majorly made up of senior citizens. So this is a merciful topic. Besides, every organ in the body is sacred—and the Bible speaks of  “bowels of mercy.”

Further support for going on this ground comes through this fact: All of us have to eat and drink fluids in order to stay alive. Just as importantly, we must eliminate what we eat and drink regularly in order to stay on the upside of the planet Earth’s crust.

Sometimes we take staying alive for granted. Also, most of us take our elimination process for granted. I know this due to needing abdominal surgeries early in my life which resulted in the growth of adhesions that caused intestinal “lock downs” or bowel blockages. Emergency surgeries were needed twice; at other times they were resolved with the help of a few days of hospital care–as I am still “here.”

Another side to this subject comes through the fact we live in a stressful environment here on earth . . .and even more so during times when things come along that threaten our endurance. We get “up tight.”

Significant medical research bears out the fact there is a direct connection between our brains and our bowels. When we feel highly challenged “upstairs” the “downstairs” essentials tense up and perhaps even tighten down—or frantically loosen up. Now things are out of control!

We are not just a body with a brain as many seem to think. We are three-part beings, body, mind, spirit. The spirit part of us intercedes within life in numerous ways and truly can affect our mental health.  It is becoming more pertinent in medicine that there are chronic illnesses that cannot be understood without factoring in social-cultural environments and human experience.

Medicine does not, for the most part, deal with the spiritual part of a person. Yet, emerging evidence indicates the need to include a person’s psychological and spiritual –in addition to the biological findings—particularly when a diagnosis is perplexing to the medical team.

Who cannot say that life is getting “pushier,” meaning more can be done in a shorter period of time given computer processing. Consequently, more is expected of us by employers and others. We expect more of ourselves as we want to keep up. Consequently, maintaining good mental health, escaping depression and anxiety is more of a challenge for most of us. For sure, the brain-bowel connection does come to play at points while under pressure. We then need either a stool softener or running shoes.

What I notice is that if I stick with my usual premise of spending some time with Scripture and prayer in the early a.m., refreshing my “God connection,” I find myself much calmer and satisfied with what comes down the pike that day.  All is easier. On the other hand if in a rush to get more done than I can do—there is a chance I might experience the brain-bowel connection.

Perhaps, if individuals were to consider caring for their spiritual selves as well as their physical selves there would be less need for doctoring . . . just a thought.

Notable things, even marvelous things, can happen if we follow the Biblical guidance to build ourselves up “in faith praying in the Holy Spirit.” (Jude 1:20).

About the author: Joy Le Page Smith is a Board certified clinical chaplain. Her articles and blogs are read in up to-32 countries.

Chaplain Joy’s website Healing-with-joy.com holds many helps for people struggling with various life challenges, including spirituality. Feel free to copy the materials while also crediting this website.  Joy’s four books are available on her home page at Healing-with-Joy.com where readers can view FREE her children’s book titled, The Little Mountain Goat Who Was Afraid of High Places.