All Things Working Together… Nature & Nurture
I recently watched a video of a toddler; it was a girl around three years old. The digital video was very poor quality because it was transferred from an old 8 mm film, originally taken in the early 1960’s. Again, the physical clarity of the film was poor; but, looking through the distortion, what I saw was priceless. It was Christmas Day and this little girl had received several gifts. Two of the toys stood out to me: A tea set and a doctor’s bag complete with stethoscope and other instruments. Watching this little girl have a tea party with her grandpa was beautiful. There was simplicity in the setting of a table and connecting with someone who dearly loved her.
Now for the play doctor’s bag, I was amazed at how this almost three year old took to these play instruments. She was playing and practicing with the stethoscope. She was playing and practicing with her mother. She would pretend to listen to her heart and then pretend to listen to her mother’s heart. The precision, intention and determination expressed through child-like wonder connected to the wide eyed loving joy of a proud mother was amazing! Sometimes, God works in quiet, simple ways: the ways of nature and nurture shaping the desires of our hearts, moving us into a destiny.
“Play is the work of the child.”- Maria Montessori
I was told that precision, intention and determination followed that little girl well into her teen years as she made her plans to follow the path of nursing. She followed that path with certainty through high school and into college. It was in her second year of the nursing program that her plans began to unravel. Through a series of events, she had to take a sabbatical from the program. For the first time in her life, her plan A (Nursing) was at risk of failing. Her dream of becoming a nurse was at risk of dying. Many times our identity is so wrapped up in our dream(s) we feel we are at risk of dying or losing ourselves. Fear sets in. Our worth, value and significance is threatened …lost…broken.
During college she met a guy. They fell in love and created new dreams. She let go of her dream of nursing; yet, the pain and wounding remained. She grieved the loss of her dream, and through much soul work accepted it. She accepted that her efforts, pursuit and much time most likely was a waste. Out of that brokenness, she still kept a remnant of precision, intention and determination. She moved on and supported others’ dreams. That little girl in the video is my wife, Debbie.
The God of All Things, continued…
- Since her early twenties, Debbie has had some issues with her back, so she developed a relationship with Dr. Beverly Martin, Chiropractor (through my sister Dee).
- In her twenties & thirties, digestive issues and chronic pain sparked a quest for relief and healing.
- In 1998, during one of Ken’s counselor training programs, a mentor stated that, “Debbie and Ken would counsel together”. At that time Debbie had absolutely no interest in counseling.
- In 2013, Debbie underwent food sensitivity testing with Dr. Martin (also a Wellness Practitioner) and she introduced Debbie to the book, “The Emotion Code”.
- In 2016, she completed training and received her Emotion Code Certification.
Debbie may have lost the dream of nursing as an expressed path; however, she never lost her precision, intention and determination for learning a better way of doing things or the love of connecting with people on a deep level. Watching her at that age and seeing her now with that same expressed determination and sense of wonder is kind of scary. It is interesting to see how God hardwires certain qualities in us (nature) and then allows a Mom and Dad’s pleasure to enhance it (nurture). Then, we carry that in our hearts and co-create a destiny out of it.
Communication and connection are so important to all of us as well as in our relationships. A common, spoken or written language will be one of the chief tools in building that strong connection. For the hearing impaired there is the creation of sign language. Several Christian denominations believe that believer’s can have a personal prayer language. Those that do, strongly believe it has enhanced their relationship with God. This type of communication bypasses our emotional or mental blocks that can hinder our relationship with God and ourselves. Through chiropractic and “The Emotion Code”, Debbie and I learned Applied Kinesiology, also known as Muscle Testing. Chiropractors and physical therapists use this form of strength testing to determine the best course of action in order to relieve pain and promote healthy balance. We at Simply Grace see Applied Kinesiology as another personal prayer language. This type of communication assists in the identification of a client’s emotional or mental blocks. These blocks can hinder their relationship with God and their true self, assisting in the restoration of emotional health and balance. Letting go of this emotional baggage frees them to find and live from the heart God originally gave them.
In 2016, Debbie and I began working with clients together; thirty four years after the letting go of her dream. Today, we see many clients in a given week, together. She laid down the plastic stethoscope and the dream of nursing along with her broken heartedness for a calling, fully equipped with gifts and tools. What started with a little girl’s love and desire to listen to hers and her mommy’s heart; has birthed a passion to assist God in healing the hearts of others.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Ken Pallone
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Prayer:
Our office has been in the same location for 12 years. For various reasons, we feel like it is time to move. We appreciate your prayers for clarity with location and timing.
SIMPLY GRACE, INC.,1090 Cambridge Square, Suite D, Alpharetta, GA 30009, 678.965.4055 simply-grace.org