Scotland Decides: Frozen Shoulder

Just back from another visit to the physio. We first got to know each other through the slipped disk in the back. We’ve moved on now to the frozen shoulder.

Well. So, a frozen shoulder occurs in stages. First there may or may not be an injury, but whatever triggers it, the shoulder becomes intensely painful to move. That may last any length of time, depending on ... nobody knows what it depends on. Just is.

Then it becomes restricted in its ability to move. The pain diminishes except when the arm tries to move into positions which the shoulder refuses to allow. Frozen. This may last from 4 to 24 months depending on ... nobody knows what. Just does.

That’s where I am right now. Stuck. Unable to move in certain positions. It could be much worse. I can still do most things and maneuver pretty well if I avoid putting my hand over my head or behind my back. 

The physio explained that the problem lies in a bit of soft tissue which embraces the socket, and which has thickened and thereby restricts movement. The body needs to reabsorb the thickness so it is thin enough to allow free movement. 

Sometimes pain locks us into certain mindsets. Emotional pain. Mental anguish. Psychological hurts. Childhood traumas. 

We want to avoid triggering the pain, so we learn to avoid thinking about certain things. We just don’t go there. We wall ourselves off, and as we do so, we become frozen, diminished in our ability to move, to think ‘outside the box’, to be compassionate perhaps, or forgiving. 

Frozen emotions lead to all sorts of problems. God addresses one in Scripture when he talks of our hardness of heart. He understands how hard it is to change our hearts ourselves, and as a tender and loving Father he promises to do it for us. ‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit in you...’ Ezekiel 36:26

My prayer for this day when Scotland decides its future, independent or united in Great Britain, all who feel passionately on both sides will be blessed with hearts of flesh, compassionate and understanding of one another’s points of views and ready to work together under whichever government wins, for the good of the people of this land.

We all struggle with areas of our hearts, of our minds, of our memories, which we’ve hardened off and which have frozen. May God renew and soften all of our hearts so that we may live lives of mercy, grace and love, inspired and enabled by his Spirit living in us.

Peace to you.