If you've never had poison ivy or poison sumac, you'll never know the torture. As a child I was a poison ivy and sumac magnet. We played outdoors all summer long and climbed trees that were covered with poison ivy and tramped through weeds filled with poison sumac.

Worse, we believed it was spread by water. Today I know this is not true, and that a good dose of soap and water washes the oils away and limits the irritation of the skin. But back then, we bought the old wives' tale that water was the problem. I'd wait for days after being exposed to those irritating oils before I would wash. All the while, the irritation to my skin just got worse and I'd swell up to the point where I was barely recognizable, eyes swollen shut, large and weeping blisters covering my body. But I stuck to my beliefs and didn't wash.

Before I deployed, my parents came to visit us in Hawai'i. I asked my mother why we didn't wash. Nearly 70, she said, "Because water spreads it!"

I was shocked. I told her what the doctors had said about poison ivy and sumac being contact irritants that would wash off with soap and water. I told her it was just an illusion that it was contagious.

My mother's answer surprised me: "You're wrong!"

I asked her if she had ever checked with a doctor during those long weeks in my youth when our eyes had swelled shut.

"No, why would I?" she said. "I know what it is, and I know what to do about it."

My mother stuck to her belief, even in the face of very real and unpleasant results.

There is convincing and mounting evidence that people who are spiritually invested are more likely to live longer and spend less time dependent on others in their older years.

The old and new testaments talk about God's desire for us to be in good health. "I pray you may enjoy good health and all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well." 3 John 1:2

God has designed us to run best when we are spiritually in tune.

The Air Force is convinced, too. We increasingly talk of the whole person — physical, mental and spiritual health. Each contributes to our total well-being.

For instance, people with poor mental health live shorter lives. People with poor physical and spiritual health live shorter lives.

The American Academy of Family Physicians states that those who regularly exercise a reaffirming of their faith enjoy better health, too.

If you've been neglecting your spiritual life, may I suggest a change, a new investment? No? Satisfied with what you've always done? You may be, but sitting in your nursing home wheeling around in your chair one day, remember this: The evidence was shared, the cure (or prevention), so to speak, was available.

Don't be like my mom, thinking you know best. Check the facts. A change may save you and your family a little pain and provide you many more years to enjoy.

Capt. David DePinho is a chaplain in the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Hickam Air Force Base. He's currently serving in Iraq.