Learning How To Live

Since my surgery I've had a lot of opportunities to learn how to accomplish tasks with only my left hand. It's not something I enjoy doing and it's certainly not something I would recommend.  It's something that you learn to adjust to so that you're quality of life does not suffer. 

Sometimes funny things will happen like trying to get yourself dressed with one hand.  It is possible but you have to give yourself enough time so that you're not putting yourself into a frantic state. Just the other day I made baked potatoes. Being single adds yet another challenge because I could put the potatoes into the oven, take them out of the oven, put them into a bowl but then who was going to cut it so I could eat it? That someone is me. I got through it and I did not cut myself but instead I learned how to hold a sharp knife a different way and I learned that there is more than one way to do things.

Feeding the cats has not been a challenge since I use a scooper. But cleaning out their boxes, well, that's a whole other story. It is actually painful because I do need to use my right hand to steady the box for scooping. I've learned to use a broom a different way. I actually tuck it under my right armpit and guide it with my surgical hand while my left hand does a majority of the work.

I imagine this writing is pretty boring for those of you who have never had any type of surgery. I commented to my brother-in-law today (who is recovering from his second shoulder surgery) that all surgeries, no matter where they are, have one thing in common afterwards:  they hurt.

To top off the evening I wet the bed again. I actually had a very soothing and nurturing dream where I spent time with a Bible teacher I respect.  She spent time with me, listened and talked to me about what's going on in my life which I have not revealed on the blog.  She hugged me nice and tight and then she gave me a free pass to go to one of her large teaching events.  All I had to do was get myself there.  I had a car that worked, I'd been given a newer bigger mobile home, I was being blessed so much that maybe all I did is relax.  Dreams can do that.

So this writing is going to end this way: I'm in a lot of pain and I don't like it. It's not like I haven't had surgical pain before, it's not like I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself, it's not like I don't believe that God is providing for me, it's none of that. Or maybe it's some of that. Or maybe it's all of that. 

I went to my nieces choral concert tonight. It's called Yuletide on the north side. Sixth graders thru seniors in high school stand for an hour and sing some of the most beautiful songs of Christmas that really speak to the meaning of Christmas. They are saying the name of Christ. They sing about peace. They sing about our creator. In a public school.  I was in tears a lot. Some for laughter. And some because my heart was so moved by these children whose choral directors believe in the integrity of this holiday.  Jesus is alive! He has always been alive! He will always be alive.

And frankly, the pain that I feel in my hand is nothing compared to the pain that Jesus felt hanging on the cross. But that's not the message right now. The message is that God wanted Jesus to come and Jesus said OK. OK Father, I will go. The Christmas story is not a story. It's an account of history.  And I think that message is what gets lost. And that's the message that we all need to carry and remember and tell our friends about. Jesus said YES to birth and the pain of death because our salvation hung in the balance.  And our not being with God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in heaven was NOT ok with God and it was NOT ok with Jesus. There is a purpose and a Presence that we have access to.

That's what spreading the good news is all about. 

Thanks for listening.

Carpal Tunnel Surgery

  I'm sitting in a parking lot where a friend is seeing a doctor. I decided not to go in because of my anxiety related to my carpal tunnel surgery on Friday. It's much easier to sit in the car and be in denial that it is to go into the doctors office who's going to be doing my surgery.  My mood has been swinging up down and sideways. I think it's because I didn't take enough time out for myself in the last two weeks. I also know that surgery hurts because I've had a few. This one is not going to be nearly as extensive yet I still have to have a twilight anesthesia and I won't have use of my hand for a few days.  I'm going to be asking for help because I won't be able to clean out the cat litter boxes for probably a week and that will be with my left hand. At least I'll get some rest and a decent amount of time off where I won't have to function. I'm looking forward it.  To laying on the couch or in my bed watching movies or doing some other stuff will be good.  I know God has everything under control yet I am concerned that the surgery will not work which could inhibit the writing of my book. But I have this close group of friends who have promised that this book will be written even if it's them who put it together. It's my hope that as I raise my hand to God that he would heal it completely and then the possibility of doing the same with my left hand. My life has been one of strife. And each time I got his help to see me through so that I can fulfill his purpose that he has placed inside of me when he created me. And that's the hope once again that I have to hold onto.

Learning How To Live With Emotions

My therapist (Faith) and I have been tackling the challenges and complications that are rising to the surface.  Namely, living as the emotional person God created all of us to be.  It's not easy when your past required submerging those emotions for the sake of survival.

I grew up in an environment where only one person was allowed to be angry - my dad.  His anger was explosive and many times was taken out on me in the form of physical abuse.  I remember clearly his thundering voice and his brutal hands.

I was not allowed to cry or express frustration.  I was not allowed to disagree or voice my opinion.  I was expected to guess what he wanted me to do or say.  I never did figure that out.  Almost nose to nose staring matches became a routine.  No emotion on my face but angry beady eyes and a face of red fury on his face.  It was a standoff.

When my parents divorced I was overjoyed.  A freshman in high school, I was living under the illusion that all will be well now that he was out of the house.  I didn't realize that the abuse I survived would be with me for just over three more decades.

Therapists, hospitalizations, medication and tackling those memories has been a roller coaster ride I wish I hadn't been forced to get in line.  I didn't choose to be abused by someone who was supposed to be my protector.  I didn't choose to be neglected by someone who was supposed to stop the insanity.  But it is what it was.

I'm not sure about the word "manage" when it comes to emotions.  At least, not lately.  Feeling what I am today, I have enormous difficulty dealing with someone who treats me the way my dad treated me most of the time.  Disrespectful, bossy and acting as if they know it all.  In retrospect, I can see the pattern of others behavior and how it takes over my mind.  In twelve step groups we call it, "Giving rent free space to someone in our head."

I have an aggressive side that always wants to handle angry emotions with violence.  I get tangled up in my head because I'd rather verbally lash out or punch someone out.  It was how I was raised.

In my recovery, I remind myself that:

1. I am a new creation in Christ.  The old has gone; the new has come.
2. The abuser died in Feb 2008 and can no longer hurt me.
3. Feeling my emotions full throttle is good as long as I don't self-injure or pick up a drink.
4. My therapist knows what she's doing even when I get annoyed at what she's saying.
5. It's up to me to learn about emotions and let them rise instead of eating.

There's another saying:  "As far as it is up to me, be at peace with all people."

I am a person who needs to receive grace and peace from my Heavenly Father.  What my head tells me to do is not always a good thing.  What my heart tells me to do is not always a good thing, either.  Relying on the Holy Spirit to guide my footsteps through the bog of emotions is a good thing.

Otherwise, who will help me when I fall into the muck?

Connecting the Dots

Connecting the Dots

When life carries on in a somewhat "normal" manner, I forget what it's like to wake up, again, to a paralyzed mind.  What I mean by that is my mind freezes.  It's hard to put thoughts together.  My body is still and it's difficult to concentrate.

This is a common symptom of depression.  I find myself trying to clean my little house and after two rooms and a hallway, I sit down.  I know what to do next yet my thoughts are like scrambled eggs.  I think of the appointments I have each day and I need to say "no" so that I can have a day by myself.

I'm on a restricted diet which is working well most days of the week.  Saturday night I decided to order Chinese food.  It would have been okay had I ordered less.  Instead, I ate too much then finished it off the next day instead of throwing it in the garbage.  I feel remorse for the way I treat my body because I also feel guilty that as a Christian, my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Is all of this connected in some way?

Probably.  But that's for the appointment on Thursday.

Weeds In Our Lives and Flowers In Our Garden

Stades Market, Fox Lake, IL

Have you ever felt excited about starting a garden?  I have two dear friends who have beautiful gardens.  All kinds of plants and flowers and garden decorations sprinkled throughout.

I marvel at the delicacy and work each of them put into their gardens.  It takes a lot of care to grow plants, flowers and vegetables.  As you may know, I planted my first two tomato plants this past summer.  It took work to help them grow.

Weeds.  Not many people who have gardens like weeds.  After all, a weed can snuff out the growth of plants by choking the life out of them.  Weeds must be removed or the health of the garden diminishes.

What about the weeds in our lives?  What do those look like?  They prevent us from moving forward in a positive direction.  They stall our growth until they are found and pulled out by the root.  They can be deceiving and look like a plant until they reveal their true identity.

Weeds are in our lives to show us what to keep out of our lives.  They keep us sharp as we live our lives according to God's plan and purpose.  Weeds keep us alert to what is supposed to be in our life and what we need to remove.  Weeds are not hard to remove - just give them a pull and they're out.

Flowers.  Beautiful colors, some are buds when they begin and they can be fragrant, pleasant to our senses.  Some need to be pruned, some need to be thinned out and all of them need gentle love and water to grow.

Flowers in our lives remind us of the good things.  Like what?  Well, being alive for one. God chose us to be alive, at this time in history and He desires a personal relationship with us.  We choose flowers as friends, a lot of us have flowers as family and each of us has the choice of how many and what kind of flowers to have in our garden.

We want our flowers to grow in a healthy way, perhaps adding Miracle Gro.
We want the weeds to be identified and removed, sometimes they're prickly.
We want our flowers to give us joy and happiness so we spend time with them.
We want the weeds to be pulled out to make room for more flowers so that all those colors nourish our soul.

For me, I'm adding flowers but I'm being choosy.  I want flowers I can easily incorporate into my garden.  I want flowers that will not take over the garden.  I want flowers that can be independent and flourish with some tender loving care.

Good soil, regular watering and bending over to pull weeds.

That's what makes a flower (and a tomato) grow.