Happy Pills and the Holy Ghost

It's pretty crazy to see a patient change completely after they've had their morphine. One minute they'll be cursing you with creative insults you thought only gypsies could come up with, and then next they want to buy you a drink. In these moments, I'm always fascinated by just how imaginative patient's mockeries become in the heat of pain. I'm not even mad. I'm impressed.

But, yes, things get weird. And I'm not even talking about addicts. These are normal people who are in a lot of pain, and morphine is one of the only drugs that seems to do the trick.

And we give it to them.

It'd be slightly unethical to allow a patient the kind of pain that leaves them wishing that your scalp would be invaded by the fleas of a thousand camels. And yet, doctors worry that they'll get addicted to the euphoria morphine has been known to cause. The only issue is, are they really experiencing euphoria, or are they just mad happy that they're no longer in pain?

Imagine being in so much pain that you spend most of your time writhing around in your hospital bed and wondering if being alive is really all that hot of an idea. You've spent a considerable amount of time in this kind of pain, with little hope of relief. Then, all of a sudden, someone comes along and offers something that can take the pain away. Wouldn't you be ecstatic?

Imagine being in so much pain that you spend most of your time writhing around in the darkness of sin, wondering if being alive is really all that hot of an idea. You've spent too long in the agony of a life characterized by a gloomy tale describing your constant and unrelenting fall into evil, with little hope of relief. Then, all of a sudden, Someone comes along and offers something that takes the sin away. Wouldn't you be ecstatic?

"Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

When we have an encounter with the Holy Spirit, there tends to be victory over sin - a time of delivery from the body of death that dwells inside of us. One of the first, and most obvious signs of this release is pure, unadulterated joy, if for nothing else than just the fact that we've been finally released from the anguish of sin.

So, are you ready for your dose?

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