Thank God for daily aches and pains

Oh my goodness have I been sick!!! Last Wednesday I went to lunch with a friend and when I got home I started feeling tired. Well let me start that over. I didn't want to get up Wednesday morning. I was so tired and I knew something wasn't right. I got up at 10:00 am and I wanted to stay in bed! Anyway, I knew I had lunch plans and I wanted to go. I sure didn't want to stay home it was beautiful outside. I went to lunch and told her my allergies were acting up and I needed some medicine. I took them, it seemed to help after awhile. Later that night I knew I was sick. Thursday when I got up I was so sick!! My throat was so swollen and sore I didn't know what was going on. So, anyway by 10:00 am I was going to the doctor, but I decided to try to treat it myself. I don't normally get sick like this so I thought it was a day or two thing. Well, all night Thursday I was running a high fever and chilling and sweating and literally miserable. My clothes and the covers were soaked with sweat, yet I was freezing. My throat was so swollen I was thinking what if I go to sleep and can't breathe. I woke up about 2:45 am and cast out that demon. I layed hands on my body and prayed for healing on every part of my body. Not just the sickness that was running through me at the time. If we don't have faith that God can heal us how can we believe He can heal others? Anyway, I went back to sleep and woke up- sick!! But, it did not detour my faith in MY God. He healed me along time ago at Calvary. I went to the doctor, got an antibiotic and I have been so sick since. The last time I ate was Wednesday at lunch, (maybe I've lost a pound or two :) I have drank milkshakes from Sonic. They are the only thing I could put in my mouth that didn't HURT. I have layed and watched TV so much that I no longer want to watch it, it is so boring. Delorne asked me yesterday after he got home from a family reunion that I couldn't go to if I had heard that Paul Newman died? I said Delorne, I have watched TV all day what do you think? He laughed. So I feel better now, not great , but better. So, what is the point of telling you all this? Let me go on.

After being sicker than I have been in along time, I had time to think about the pains I complain about everyday. I thanked God for them and still do. I would never want to live in pain like I have had for the last four days. There are people with major diseases that live in major pain every single day of their lives. Including children! I have prayed for these people and have felt for them in away I never did before. If they live with this every day, then who am I with my little backache and heal spurs etc... to complain? I promised God that when I got well I was changing my ways. I will no longer look at how bad I feel, but how grateful I am that I am not sick everyday. I can still cook, and clean, and go shopping, and have lunch with friends and come and go with my aches and pains. To be honest with you since I have been sick I haven't felt the other pains, they have been over shadowed by this sickness. When I am better they have to be over shadowed by my faith that God took care of them for me. I will live differently than before. If there are pains, I won't dwell on them like before. I thank God for what I have been through in the last few days. It opened my eyes to what I am supposed to do. I am not to dwell on the sickness in my body, it over shadows my whole being. Therefore; I can not be who I am to be as a Christian, wife, mother, friend, sister etc... I honestly have given so much of my life to the herniated disc in my back, and my neck, and lately the heal spurs that I have not been able to give God the time I need to. I concentrated on how bad I felt and used it as an excuse not to be able to do anything sometimes. There have been days when all I would do is one or two things and quit because I was letting the pain get me down, mentally more than physically at times. The bible says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil 4:13. I wouldn't ask God to strengthen me I just gave in to the pain. That has to change. After this sickness I have come to realize that we can do more if we want to and do less if we want to. That includes doing what is best for our bodies so that they can get well. That could include exercise, eat right, change our habits that are bad, to habits that are good for us. And, that's what they are, habits that we have grown accustomed to. We have grown lazy to sit and watch TV rather than get up exercise or do something that is good for us. Call a friend and go to lunch, find a hobby and do it. Find someone who needs help and help them, turn off the TV or the computer and get up and go.

Change your eating habits to get well, lose weight, and feel better. This is one of my goals. I know I need to change my food. I don't eat right, and I don't eat enough. Therefore; my metabolism is out of whack and I can't lose weight. I have exercised for a year with a friend and not lost weight. I have toned up and strengthened my body, but not lost weight. Last year I could barely do one push up now it's no problem to do 25 or 30. I can see the differences, just imagine if I had been eating right to! I know what I have to do for me, do you know what you have to do for you? Quit making excuses and change your habits. If you don't change then don't complain. The bible says what we speak about we bring about, so we need to speak what is good for us and not the negative things. Think about how many times you say I don't feel good or this hurts or I'm so sick. Every day we speak these things over us and don't even realize what we are doing. Just imagine if you were always saying how good you feel instead of the opposite. It would change your mind on how to deal with it if nothing else. We give so much time to the aches and pains that they take over, and I have been a queen in this area. After all I have real aches, and they hurt. But, I also talk about them everyday, to myself if not someone else. It's a habit. Oh well, this strep throat has made me realize what true pain is. I do not have a pain that needs so much devotion as I have given them in the last 20 years. My devotion is going in a positive direction. I am going to do something about it and not sit and mope about it anymore. The light bulb has come on and I thank God it did.

Pray for me, I need those prayers, Uylonda