Thursday, April 1, 2010

Healing in Their Leaves

by Dina Sleiman

But the river itself, on both banks, will grow fruit trees of all kinds. Their leaves won't wither, the fruit won't fail. Every month they'll bear fresh fruit because the river from the Sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.

- Ezekiel 47:12

This week as we look forward to Easter and the cross, we are reminded of the steep price Christ paid for us. And as I consider this price, this cost, I ask, what did he purchase for me? Salvation. Eternity in heaven. Reconciliation with the Father. Most assuredly. Some say this is all we should expect. That it’s somehow selfish or arrogant to believe for anything more. What else could possibly matter? But I for one, suspect Christ did purchase even more than that on the cross, and I don’t want to in any way belittle Christ’s sacrifice by turning down part of that gift. Here are a few verses from Isaiah 53 to illustrate this point.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

I believe that Christ came to redeem us, to heal us, and to make us whole in spirit, soul, and body. I have experienced supernatural healing, both in my own body and in others for whom I have prayed. I believe healing can come in many different forms, though, or through a combination of factors: 1) laying on of hands, 2) the prayer of faith, 3) forgiving an offense, 4) breaking a generational curse, 5) battling an attack from the enemy, 6) repenting of a sin, 7) words of wisdom, 8) doctors and medicines, 9) lifestyle changes, 10) nutrition, 11) natural remedies. I imagine there are more.

One of the most effective and lasting ways that healing has come to me has been through better nutrition and tapping into the healing resources found in creation. God provided much healing through nature in plants and foods. These are the building blocks of our bodies, and we must honor our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. I have nothing against doctors and medicines. Many of the medicines available today are synthetic stabilized versions of herbal remedies used throughout the ages. But perhaps because I am a lover of history and of nature, I am fascinated with herbs and the healing power God has poured into their leaves. Sometimes I wonder, if we truly lived in right relationship and proper communion with God and nature, would he simply lead us to the sources of healing that we need?

For several years I suffered from sound sensitivity. It truly hampered my lifestyle. After going to the doctor and trying a variety of medications with awful side effects, I discovered through the internet that a magnesium deficiency can cause sound sensitivity. As an answer to much prayer, God provided my healing through the simple source of seaweed based colloidal minerals. In fact, eating plenty of salad and dried beans could possibly supply the magnesium I need.

Of course there are entire books dedicated to the subject of herbs, but here are a few of my favorite natural remedies that I often use.

Lavender – tea or essential oil - removes nervous tension, relieves pain, enhances blood circulation

Chamomile – tea or tablets – calms nerves, promotes sleep, reduces anxiety and muscle twitches, good for stomach issues

Cranberry – juice without sugar – excellent for clearing urinary tract infections

Ginger – tablets - aids digestion, helps stomach ailments, reduces naseau, reduces inflammation

Red Rice Yeast – stabilized tablets – reduces cholesterol

Aloe Vera – gel from leaves – soothes burns and insect bites

Garlic – oil – for infections such as sinus and ear

Echinachea – liquid or pills – for colds and fevers

Eucalyptus – essential oil –  mix with skin lotion and apply to sinus areas for instant relief from pain and congestion

Homeopathic Rice Packs – hot for relaxation, cold for injuries and swelling

Last year my children and I made homeopathic rice packs we called “Happy Packs” for all of our friends and family. You can find directions for making rice packs at this link http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Rice-Sock . They work well heated in the microwave for relaxation and soothing muscle tension. But, our favorite way to use them is as a comforting ice pack for all those childhood boo boos. We added the contents of two bags of calming sleepytime herbal tea to each of ours and drew happy faces on the front with permanent markers. We thought it was a great way to say “I love you."

Love and healing, they go hand in hand, don't they. Our loving father longs for our well-being. When we ask him for bread, he does not give us a stone. We are his precious children, and he sends us only good gifts. The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but God comes to give life in abundance. So this year for Easter let’s embrace the full redmeption bought for us at the cross in spirit, soul, and body. And let’s remember the simple healing God poured into creation from the foundation of the earth. As you look at the beautiful springtime blossoms around you, take a moment to remember that God has provided healing in the leaves.

Do you have a favorite herbal or natural remedy? Have you ever experienced God’s supernatural healing? Can we pray for healing in any area of your life today?

14 comments:

  1. Oh, Dina, I truly love the way you tied the healing herbs to Christ's sacrifice for us. This was beautiful. I, too, have experienced the supernatural healing, and I've witnessed supernatural lifting of pain for my mother when a nun in a hospital prayed over her.

    Lavendar is so beautiful. I love the beauty of it, and I love the smell. I know it does take away tension and is supposed to help with headaches. Unless you happen to be allergic to it! It doesn't keep me from admiring it from afar and remembering it's clean scent.

    Thank you for blessing me with this wonderful post.

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  2. Dina, beautifully written! I love to think of God as my personal Great Physician, and whenever I have a symptom or an affliction, I can go directly to Him for a diagnosis and a prescription. When I listen and follow His orders, it works every time. Sometimes His instructions are to go to the doctor, or the chiropractor, and sometimes they are as simple as speaking His word over my body, or releasing an offense.
    His body was broken for us, so that ours can be made whole.
    Blessings!
    Niki

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  3. Absolutely loved this post, Dina. Absolutely loved it!

    Yes, I have a story to tell!

    A dozen years ago, my kids and I developed a virus we couldn't shake. Mucous clogged out throats. The boys vomitted all over the place. Spontaneous eruptions with no warning other than a cough. It lodged in my throat and cut off my air. I stood the kitchen, choking, unable to cry for help. Many times I kicked the cabinets out of frustration and prayed for God to clear the way.

    We went to the doctor and he did the throat swab. The result came back: we were the first ones in the province diagnosed with a recurrance of whooping cough.

    Whooping cough used to be a common childhood disease when I was growing up. But due to research and immunizations, it hadn't appeared in Canadian homes for many, many years. It was thought to be eradicated.

    In fact, the doctor regretfully told us there wasn't anything he could do because they didn't have an antibiotic on the market any longer to cure it.

    I researched herbs and then bought bottles of natural decongestants and cough syrups made of:
    - elderberry
    - mullein
    - garlic
    - licorice
    - coltsfoot
    Those were the main ingredients.

    Within 10 days, the mucous had disappeared. We went back to the doc and he took notes of what we'd taken.

    I don't care how many people tell me the advances in medicine outweigh our dependence on unnatural drugs. The bottom line is... when we needed help, modern medicine failed us.

    Excellent post, Dina. Thank you.

    Anita.

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  4. My favorite 'natural' remedy is sunshine and fresh air and some elbow grease. We spend far too much time sitting - inside! I also like the idea of eating foods that are as close to natural as possible.
    I love your list and I certainly agree, we have a Great Healer and His plant world contains most of what we need - including the enjoyment of plants.

    Even their scents have an effect on us, right? amazing.

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  5. So, you like that tie in Suzie. It's kind of like when we were thinking of mash ideas. Combine herbs and Easter and see what you can come up with :)

    Isn't it great when healing comes supernaturally. I was healed of a turned out foot that was supposed to require braces when I was a little girl. The young people at our Jesus movement hippy church watched it straighten in front of their eyes.

    I also received an istant healing from food allergies when a man with a healing ministry came to town. Weird thing is, I still have airborn allergies.

    Interesting stuff.

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  6. Yes, Niki, I'm like you. I'll take healing however God wants to send it. I think the most important thing is being in close relationship with God so we can hear his instructions.

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  7. Anita, what a blessing that you had the wisdom to go out and find the cure for yourself.

    I didn't do much with herbs in my first novel, but I have big plans for some of the sequels.

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  8. I'm a big fan of fresh air and sunshine, Deb. I always thought it was sad that people lived in little boxes. I have to try harder to get out during the school year now that my kids are older. I take bike rides for my daily exercise whenever the weather is good. And if it's warm and sunnny in the morning, I like to do my devotions outside with the birdies and the dragonflies. But in the summer, we practically live outdoors.

    God made an awesome world for us.

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  9. My Mom left this comment on my facebook status:

    I just heard someone say yesterday, that when working at peak performance, the human body was designed to heal itself and that every 11 years we have all new cells. Technically, they don't know why we don't live forever. That is because we were designed to do so and will when we receive our glorified bodies.

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  10. Apparently those 'new' cells are new but come ready to fit into the 'old' look!

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  11. Dina, wonderful post :-) I'm a great believer in eating natural food, fresh produce and minimising preservatives in our diet. Thanks for providing your informative list of herbs and their healing qualities :-)

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  12. Great post, Dina. Thanks for the list of helpful herbs. We have a few rice-filled socks here, too, and they're marvelous! Great for wrapping around my neck when my shoulders get tense from typing.

    Anita, your story had a good ending, thanks be to God, but whew! How scary.

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  13. Narelle, I always think it's great to eat the natural food God provided us with. Don't know how those donuts got in my kitchen :)

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  14. We love our rice packs, Susanne, and the happy face has emotional benefits too.

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