Side effects still minimal - energy is good! Fingers still have some numbness.
Praising God to have energy and be able to drink water without it tasting terrible or having to be tepid!
For some reason I woke up stressed out this morning -- silly stupid way to start your day!
When I realized how stressed I was, I began to ponder how my day derailed. By this evening, I realized that when I physically feel terrible, I spend much more time with God....
When I am feeling terrible, I cannot do anything except lie there and just be. When I am being, I have to go to God because otherwise my brain goes down the "poor me" path and I get more miserable.
However -
When I'm feeling better and have energy - what do I do? My mind begins the endless lists of "have to's"--- and I do mean endless! I have to work in the basement with all the stuff from my dad's house - what to do with it? decisions to make? research how/where to sell it. Reorganize the basement to accommodate the things we are storing. I have not really been domestically efficient in over a year - so Spring cleaning is a long list of lists.
There are "have to do it today lists" - wedding lists - thank you lists - wife lists - garden lists - honey-do lists - wish lists - shopping lists - medical lists - if-only lists - fix it lists - things I forgot to do lists- and the lists go on and on --
I can wear myself out with my lists before I ever get out of bed!
The old saying goes that if the devil can't tempt you, he will make you too busy for God......
There are endless tasks -
Work is never finished -
The to do list always exceeds the done list.
Yet when I felt terrible, I couldn't do anything except be with God and I wasn't stressed!
(sick, yes - stressed, no!)
How can I prevent this stress from derailing more days?
It is SO HARD! I have to begin my day intentionally with God -- to put the "have-tos" on hold. If it is not intentional, the have-tos take over!
When I am lying in bed, with stress mounting as the to do lists whirl in my head, I have to mentally shut down the lists.
2 Cor 10:5 at the end talks about taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ. Man do I have a lot to take captive! Once they are caught and closed - and it is an on-going process- then I go back to focusing on God to start my day. Often I'll say scripture to myself, which works for me because when remembering a verse, there are no brain cells for lists!
We have a collection of devotionals on our kitchen table including Come Away My Beloved, Streams in the Desert and My Utmost for His Highest and Jesus Calling. Every day at breakfast, I pick at least one to read and often it is Jesus Calling. This helps me to set the tone for the day - to scale it back from stressed to calm. (well less stressed anyway!)
A pad of paper helps me control the thoughts that come to distract me! I write 'em down and get back to God right away. If I am careful, this works - sometimes though I end up distracted and forgetting God. :(
So - One more lesson from this desert -
Be vigilant and pro active so that I don't get so busy doing stuff - even in my head- that I forget the one who gives me the ability to do anything at all!
Scripture to help with that?
Ps 46:10
Be still and know that I am God.... (not "do still" - "be still")
Is 30:15
In repentance and rest is your salvation - in quietness and trust is your strength
I Thess 5:16-18
Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.....
Thankful for relearning a lesson I thought I knew......
Blessings and thanks for checkin in!
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