Skip to main content

New Article: A Spiritual Apgar Score

                 As recently as the 1950s, having a baby was a risky proposition.  One in thirty births ended badly until an anesthesiologist named Virginia Apgar developed a system to rate how newborns were doing.  She focused on five key areas (appearance, pulse, the reflex action or grimace, activity or muscle tone and respiration).  She encouraged doctors and nurses to rate each child on a scale of zero to three for each quality.  A score of 10 or more meant that the baby was healthy; 4 or lower indicated that the baby needed immediate intervention.

               While numerous other medical advances have occurred over the years, all agree that Apgar’s rating system had a huge impact.  Her scoring system is still used today, and the mortality rate has improved to one in every 500 births.  Virgina Apgar did not introduce anything new.  Her system simply helped the medical personnel assess what they were dealing with and see what was in front of them.

               I have often thought that it would be helpful for us to have a Spiritual Apgar Score.  Not a test.  Rather a reminder would help us see the blessings that promote spiritual health, strength and vitality.  Maybe this little verse would point us in the right direction.  Hebrews 3:1 says, “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest”.  I like this verse because it underlines three gifts that we share.

               First, it describes us: We are holy brothers and sisters.  In other words, we are a family.  Second, it gives us a purpose and a goal for which to live: We have a heavenly calling.  Our life is about more than just here and now.  Third, it gives us something to do: set your thoughts on Jesus. 

               These blessings are not new, but they are important.  They can give us hope.  They can direct our thoughts and help our decision-making.  They can rearrange our priorities so that we are shaped like Christ.

               Success does not always come by discovering something new.  As Virginia Apgar demonstrated, sometimes we simply need to focus on what is right in front of us.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Article: Five Words to Improve Your Relationships

                 In the late 1800s, it was common for railway companies to plant formal gardens beside their stations.   These gardens were filled with trees, shrubs, flowers, and fruit trees.   Sometimes they also featured a kitchen garden growing lettuce, carrots, corn, and potatoes.   Estevan’s Canadian Pacific Railway Garden was once located where Mid-City Plumbing and Heating is today.                The purpose of these gardens was to show what the land could produce.   After hours and sometimes days of riding across the featureless prairies, the railways wanted to show settlers the potential of their new home.   The gardens showed what was possible and they encouraged the settlers to transform their own land and discover its potential too.                Today’s verse acts similarly, in that it challenges us to find the potential in
Post a Comment
Read more

Dark and Light

            When you look out at the world, what do you see?             Some see nothing but trouble and pain.   They point to things like poverty, crime, problems with drugs and alcohol and marriage break-ups and say that the world is full of sadness and sorrow.   Watch the news for even a half hour and you will get the idea that the world is a dark place.             Others see nothing but good.   They appreciate generous people in their community.   They think about their friends and neighbours and smile.   They marvel at the beauty of sunrises and stars at night.   To them, the world is a bright and wonderful place.             You may be surprised that the Bible supports both of these world views.   On one hand it says things like, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the
1 comment
Read more

New Article: The Power of Caring

                 In 2013, the town of High River, Alberta experienced one of the biggest floods in their history. Hardly a home or business escaped without damage.   Things were so bad on the main street that even the radio station had to move to another town just to stay on the air.                That move did not sit well with morning show host Jody Seeley.   She did not like the idea of broadcasting about the community without being in it, so she came up with a plan.   She convinced her bosses to create a mobile radio station in an enclosed trailer and had the trailer towed to a local restaurant called The Hitching Post.   From that day on, Jody did her radio show from the parking lot of the restaurant.   Next, she started what she called “Honks and Hugs”.   The idea was that if you were alright and having a good day, you were to let he
Post a Comment
Read more