Deficiency
Choking. I always feel like I’m choking on something. Plum-pit syndrome or qi stagnation is what they call it in oriental medicine, lung qi deficiency, even, if my airways are too dry and exterior pathogenic factors are overwhelming my wei qi. Of course, no one understands what any of this means because acupuncture is an ancient practice that has been discarded and replaced by Western medicine, because it’s been tried before and there is something better now, andbecause what does the old have to do with the new in this day and age? Sometimes this is how I feel about Christianity— a tried and true belief system that everyone knows about in theory but not in practice. Words, all of it is just words if they are not your own. I can’t hold a needle in my hand and say I know what I’m doing if I don’t believe it will help. Just like how I say I’m Christian but hate my neighbor or how I love Jesus but have not prayed for days. There’s a certainty you have to have when holding a needle similar to that of holding an opinion. There’s a precision and an art to the carry through that changes the lives of those you’ve touched, both physically and spiritually. That boldness to speak up comes from knowing that the conclusions you have made are your own or at the very least worth identifying with and supporting. Everyday I learn a little bit more about clean needle technique, crossing meridians, contraindicated herbal prescriptions, acupuncture point location, anatomy… and through it, I pray passion will be the salve to my lack of confidence and Christian deficiencies, but deep in my heart, I know only Jesus will be the cure.
