A Failure to Thrive
D uring this pandemic of Covid-19, isolation, quarantined, unemployment, fear and worry, are you thriving? In the medical field, the diagnosis “A Failure to Thrive” describes the inability of an individual to grow.
A failure to thrive is a medical diagnosis for children that can be defined as “when their weight or rate of weight gain is significantly below that of other children of similar age and gender.”
According to Medscape, “Failure to thrive in elderly persons is defined by The Institute of Medicine as weight loss of more than 5 percent, decreased appetite, poor nutrition, and physical inactivity, often associated with dehydration, depression, immune dysfunction, and low cholesterol. Failure to thrive is not a single disease or medical condition; rather, it’s a nonspecific manifestation of an underlying physical, mental, or psychosocial condition” (Dr.
Nadia Ali and Dr. Jasvinder Chawla, 2015, accessed 2 April 2020). Additionally, a failure to thrive can include depression, decreased appetite, poor nutrition and inactivity.
Every day I meet people who are living through very stressful events, have a lack of quality social interaction, have few or no close friends, are very lonely and dealing with some type of medical concern. With quarantine orders in place, social distancing and regular daily living habits disrupted, it is beginning to have a negative impact on our society.
What can you do for someone else? If you can meet a need, help someone, listen to someone there is no better way to thrive than to serve others.
Serving others, meeting needs, offering encouragement and simply listening to someone (making no judgments) are ways you can begin to thrive.
The apostle Paul wrote, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
God has something for you to accomplish!
When the apostle Paul was in prison, he encouraged people and the churches with his letters of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon.
In another letter, the apostle wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). You can encourage someone too – write them a letter of encouragement. You can comfort someone because you have already been through a difficult time or stressful event in your life.
Jesus looked for people to serve. We may not be able to heal people, restore their eyesight or raise them from the dead but we can serve and encourage them.
We can help others achieve their dreams. We can guide them in their decisions, listen to their hurts, cry with them in their pain and celebrate their success.
This is how we thrive.
It is easy to become depressed, always thinking of the wrongs and injustices we have experienced. It is human nature to blame others for our faults and inadequacies but to rise above the malaise of selfpity, look for someone else to serve. Look for ways to meet the real needs of people. It might cost you some money, time, blood, sweat and tears, but these are all investments that will last eternally. These are ways to help yourself thrive.
You have the ability and resources to improve the life and outlook of someone else. You have been gifted and endowed with gifts and abilities to meet the needs of others (Romans 12:6). This pandemic of Covid-19 is the right time to discover your gifts from God and use them.
Are you thriving or are you worrying? Are you hiding away from the very people God has created you to serve? Are you hiding your gifts, abilities and the light of Christ? Now is the time to reach out in faith and without fear to serve others.
Are you thriving?
Clayton Adams has a message of faith he would like to share with the community. He would also like to hear from you.
E-mail claytonp adamsiii@gmail. com
Clayton Adams
