Monday, April 15, 2013

Sick of Being Sick: How Being Sick Makes Being Well That Much Better

Dear Friends,

Of late I've barely found the energy to do much beside the basics.....cooking on a per-needed basis, laundry, school work and projects and papers for graduate studies.  That's about it.  Sprinkle in a little reading for relaxation and that's my life right now.  Oh and sleeping. Because once I was finally able to sleep again I made certain to sleep a little more than usual to try and recover. Did I mention I've been sick? Because I have. Very, very sick for several days. Sicker than I can really ever recall being with any sort of stomach flu.  Just finally starting to feel a little recovered when I had to go to the Emergency Room for severe and excruciating pains in my stomach and radiating into my back, so bad that I literally could barely breathe and was crying out from the pain.  Apparently it was not my gallbladder (thankfully), a conclusion made after many, many tests and hours upon hours of being in the ER, drugged and "out of it." It was supposedly complications with the acid reflux/GERD I've battled for several years.  Trust me when I say, I had NO idea that acid reflux could become that complicated. That painful. Since then I've been put on four very strong medications for a 10-day treatment, in an effort apparently to clear all the bad out and heal up what needs healing, etc. I am praying that the meds do what they are supposed to do . . . . because right now, in the first 1/3 of the treatment, I am hating all the side effects. I feel almost as bad from those as I did when I was so very, very sick a little over a week ago from the terribly violent stomach flu strain I picked up somehow. When I'm feeling "good" I'm still fatigued, dizzy and nauseated.

Has it been a rough 1.5 weeks? Yes, to say the least.  On so many fronts.  To be quite honest, I feel like the enemy just decided to take the biggest swing possible at me.  I have no idea why. But when these massive tsunami force storms of life come my way, I like to dwell on the possibility that God has something even bigger and better (and I do mean positive) in store for me, waiting in the wings . . . .and perhaps that bigger and better something is precisely why the enemy is trying to take me down, yet again. Of course he doesn't want me to have what God has for me.  And we know he is loaded with discouragement to hand us by the fistfuls. I have fought that discouragement this whole time.  I have prayed and I am still praying. And it does help me get through and to feel excited when I think that God has something (whatever that may be, be it a physical blessing or a spiritual one) better in store for me!

Perhaps you don't agree with my train of thought here. That's okay. You don't have to.  I respect your thoughts on why these tsunami storms blow into our lives, and how important it is to deal with them even while we keep our eyes and hearts turned toward our Heavenly Father in faith.  But I am pretty certain you will agree with me when I say this . . . . have you ever noticed how absolutely marvelous it is to feel well after you've been ill?  Just stay with me for a moment.  I think honestly that's the only upside to ever being sick; the getting-well. The recovered. The happy and healthy.  Because it's much like when the sky has been gray and gloomy for days on end and the sun finally bursts through the clouds and fills the air with golden life. You realize just how much you missed the sunshine, and how much it means to you. 

While I'm not quite there yet, not recovered and so I cannot say that I'm fully healthy and happy to be so, I feel I am on my way there. I'm partway there. And for that, I'm so very happy.  I'm glad for the little bit of health I've gained back and I'm anticipating being all well again . . . . because that will be the sunshine for me after a very long, very dark period of stormy weather.

Here's hoping your life is full of golden sunshine! But if you are going through a stormy period, please remember . . . . the sun will shine again. And when it does, you will notice it more than ever before! 

Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
    from those whose walk is blameless.
 Lord Almighty,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you.

Psalms 84:10-12 (bold added) 

5 comments:

  1. Oh sweet Rachel I'm so sorry you've been sick (and still are!). I will keep you in my prayers!

    I love that verse: For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good things does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
    I love it!

    (By the way, I'm really loving your blog design :-))

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  2. I'm so sorry to hear you've been so sick! Praying you start to recover quickly!

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  3. @Evelien: Thank you very very much for the prayers and kindnesses! I am trying to get all better. Apparently we haven't quite figured out what all is going on yet, or rather what's going wrong in some respects. But we are trying! The verse is great, isn't it? :) Thanks for stopping in!

    @Callie Nicole: Thank you for stopping by and for your kindnesses and prayers! I am certain that everyone's prayers have helped me a lot.

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  4. @Mrs. Pedersen: I do! Thank you very much as I definitely still need the prayers! - Rachel

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