Have you ever considered how empowering a label is ?
When I was young a favorite wedding prank gift was to buy a dozens of tins of food and take off all the labels before presenting the 'gift' to the bride and groom!
A label not only identifies contents but allows you to make well informed decisions on what to do with the contents. A label also explains what you could not see with your naked eye - hidden ingredients that could hurt you if you have a sensitivity to them or it informs you of the valuable vitamins and minerals the food contains.
Without labels we are stabbing in the dark.... floundering without the knowledge that empowers us to walk in wisdom and confidence, making well informed choices.
I was given a 'label' a couple of days ago that made me so excited !
Vic and I were watching the early news as I was finishing details for dinner. Suddenly, my attention was riveted on the screen.
The announcer was reporting on a new discovery made by the University of British Columbia! A study has shown that a problem medical science had believed could only be a result of some trauma to the brain, has been discovered to also be a brain disorder in 'normal' people !!
This brain disorder is called "Selective Developmental Topographical Disorientation".
EVERYTHING they said about it .. I could SOOOOO relate to !!!
All my life I have known the horrible feeling of being 'lost'. I have learned to deal with my lack of a sense of direction and have let it be a source of amusement among my friends and family!
Laughing at something always makes it better, doesn't it ?
I was out with a friend of mine a few weeks ago and she exclaimed at one point... "I don't know HOW you can be so smart in every other area of your life .. and then sooo hopeless when it comes to finding your way around ! It makes no sense to me !"
What the researchers have discovered is that this brain disorder does not allow people to use the spatial memory part of their brain, which results in an inability to form 'maps' in their head. So finding their way around is a major challenge.
I was so excited to have a 'label' . At least now I can understand what has been soo frustrating to me. My husband, thankfully , has always been most patient with me ... drawing detailed maps to even familiar places so I won't get lost.
One thing I have always found amusing is that no matter where I am -- a public place or even just walking along the road... people invariably will stop ME to ask for directions. I usually smile and say .. "Well, I'm probably not the best person to ask..." but then because I really do want to help them I will try to give them directions as best I can. I'm really not sure where some of them ended up !!
But just think !!!.... NOW if someone stops me to ask for directions ... I can just say .... "I'm really sorry , but I have a brain disorder called 'Selective Developmental Topographical Disorientation'. "
How impressive is that ?
Can you see the expression on the poor person's face who was hopefully expecting some easy directions in response to their innocent question ?
After my excitement - over discovering that there was a label identifying a troublesome part of my brain - settled a little , I started to think about labels. The labels we put on the things we deal with in every-day life.... people.... actions.... diseases.... habits..... character traits.
I thought - how important it is to get the labels right !
A packaged food with the wrong label on it can be much more than just inconvenient ...it can be life threatening !
God, who is the Manufacturer of all His creation, has in His Word given us the right 'labels' to put on things. The labels the world puts on things are often wrong - Only God's are always the right ones !!
If He puts the label 'Sin' on immorality .. then we cannot re-label it with another name , except we do so at our peril.
If God puts the label of 'Only Way' on His Son .. .then anything else with a label promising eternal life is just simply life-threateningly wrong!
In our world where things are being relabeled every day, how quick should we be to run to His Word to 'check' a label before we accept it as truth !!
"The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgements (LABELS) endures forever !!" Psalm 119:160
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7 comments:
I'll have to tell my directionally-challenged sister that she has a label!
It's funny how naming a disorder or condition seems to validate our situation. I joke with Doc all the time about my ADD or OCD when it's probably not a laughing matter, but it seems to explain or justify my odd habits or inattention.
The best label of can think of? "Christian" or "Child of God!"
What a great insight, Julie! When we consider how dangerous it is to change the labels of food or medicine, we have no trouble recognizing the dangers, yet we are not so quick to recognize the danger of re-labeling what God clearly calls sin ... especially if is one of our 'pet' sins. Thanks for calling our attention to this important matter.
Very nice post! I´m so glad you found out what the name of your problem is.
You always inspire!
Oh boy. .what a hoot. . I just had to think about the time you were to meet a few blog friends, just a short distance from your house. When you didn't arrive, I became very worried. Jill the prayer "warrior" decided the best action to take was to pray. . .she did that while I prayer "worried".
Now. . .we know why you couldn't find us. . .
Yes labels are important and very much needed I think. I'm glad you can respond appropriately now when someone asks you for directions. By the way, I laughed out loud when I pictured you explaining your disorder in response to the "innocent question". haha I can just imagine someone answering me with THAT! I'm sorry but I'm sure the only thing I could do at that point is try not to laugh out loud, in front of the person! Because I sure know I would not be expecting to hear that answer.
Do you laugh when something catches you off-guard???
This is very interesting because now I too have a 'label'..I lose my 'sense of direction' very quickly. I'll have to share this with my daughter..she has the same problem. One gene she could have done without I'm sure!!
I'm soo happy for you that you have discovered a disorder that you have. We all have our crosses to bare eh? I wonder if there is a label for not being able to spell, bad memory, dyslexic, and not very bright??? looking forward to your end times posts.
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