Isaiah 40: 30 – 31 ESV
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Tonight is one of those nights, I am not sure how to get my words together. Marshall and I took a much needed vacation to get away, retreat and process everything we have been going through since my diagnoses and latest appointments. We have had some amazing concurring moments and moments where I feel like my world is falling apart.
Being in my 30’s and suddenly having my legs give out while walking is something I NEVER IMAGINED I would be learning how to handle in my life. Or how to handle the stares from the flight attendant because she can’t believe my face is drooping and can barely understand me because I am slurring my words. I become so red with embarrassment, I want to crawl under my seat.
At this moment, I feel like the rug has been pulled out from under my feet in several aspects of my life.
I say this with certainty that the majority will understand when I say this “It is ok, to not be ok 100 % of the time”. The best, most powerful thing I can do for myself is to recognize and give respect to the changes happening to my body and allow the feelings to come when they come. Giving them time to process and then get back up again.
That DOES NOT mean I give in; it means that I take care of myself when my body is telling me something is wrong. When it tells me to stop and forces me to rest. Marshall has to step in sometimes to make me stop. Because, well you know, I am stubborn. However, he truly understands my drive and the mental struggle I have daily. But when I do not listen, I end up in a wheelchair on vacation and headed back to the room to sleep and let my body recover. I do not get an option when it gets to that point.
So what do I do now, that I feel like the rug has been pulled? Burn it! I did not need that rug anyway! Redecorate. Make changes. Downsize. Redecorate again. How am I doing that? One day at a time. I am working on a Ladies Retreat coming in 2020, I have a few speaking engagements this fall. For the new year I am not sure where it will go from there. These were things all put into motion BEFORE my last set of doctors’ visits. Then we had to have some very hard discussions in those appointments. Honestly, it was not information I wanted to hear. Hence why we went away for a while.
All I know is, God has me. I will fly, I will soar. I will always be looking for his guidance and do everything in my power to fulfill the plan he has for me, to the best of my ability.
I want to share what God has done in my life. I want to shout it from the rooftops. I sometimes feel like a broken record, but I honestly believe that if I can help just one person, it is all worth it. #Live2Inspire1
AMEN!
Next speaking event: Sept. 8th Grace Covenant Church Kingsport, TN