What is a "good day?" A good day is one that is pain-free - or relatively pain-free. Its also fatigue-free or at least less fatigue. It is remission - and maybe you are lucky enough to find yourself in a string of them! Praise God! You actually have some energy! You forgot what it feels like to "feel good!"....oh, there are so many places to take this topic!! : ) We'll cover how to get to them later but today what is on my mind is - "what do I do now that I feel good?"
The first questions that come to mind are often - "Is it gone?"..."How long will this last?"..."How did I get here? (what did I do to achieve this?)"...but it always comes down to this - "what do I do?"
There's always a massively long list of "things to do when I feel better." But it is divided into two lists really - the things I SHOULD do and the things I WANT to do! Or the chores/work/things-people-expect-me-to-do and the fun/I-want-to-celebrate-feeling-good things. Such choices can bring so much stress!! So, which do you choose? Why? (Please share in comments!)
Here's my answer: both!!! No, that's not a cheating answer...its a realistic one. But the real key is - whatever you do, do it in moderation. I've learned that going "all out" after either choice leads right back to pain and fatigue quickly. There is a time for that - but that is another topic all together! : )
There was a time that I stubbornly chose only the fun activities when I felt well. (Now that was hard to admit.) But it is true. I felt good so infrequently that when I did - I made sure I had fun. When you have small children - I'd spend my fun time having fun with them. Let them see Mom with some energy! Or spend it doing something with your spouse. Or with girlfriends... Or doing something you enjoyed "before." Just remember there is a price for overdoing! And, most of all, if you choose FUN, then don't feel guilty! It just ruins it!
Sometimes, it feels good to get some things accomplished that you usually don't feel up to - like a painting project or scrubbing the bathroom really well or catching up on the laundry (REALLY catching up!) or "deep cleaning" a whole room or planting a garden. That sense of accomplishment is important! Just remember, there is a price for overdoing! (where have I heard that before?) Catching up on filing or cleaning out a kitchen cabinet is boring but the result feels good!
I've learned to try to do some of both - or alternate them. If I haven't felt well in a long time - its always something fun I choose. If I find myself with the blessing of a string of "good days," I sprinkle in some chores/errands I haven't been able to get to. The most important thing I've learned is to praise God for the good days! And thank Him for them! Enjoy them no matter what you choose to do.
So what verse has God given me for this topic? Ecclesiastes 3:1-8...it begins "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:"
And remember - this is the ONLY day you will feel good....nor is it the last! Don't try to do everything in one day - save some for the next good day...because it will come! God bless!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Rest? How?
One thing I had to learn early in my fibromyalgia journey was how to rest.... or to "chill"...to practice, at times, what Rhonda Anderson (co-founder of Creative Memories) calls "planned neglect." Sometimes you have to purposely ignore the things around you that are screaming "do me next!!!!" in order to get the rest your body needs (or is demanding!). It is a hard balance to achieve...rarely do I feel like I'm in the "sweet spot" of perfect balance. There is always something demanding attention - household chores, husband, children, other family, church activities, children's school activities, work...
I found the best way for me to get rest when I need it is to read. I have always loved to read! The past three years I was fortunate enough to work with several women who also love to read - they shared a lot of great books with me (thanks, Leslie & Rebecca!). My favorites are in a list here - I've provided links to my favorite authors too! I'll be adding more books I've read as I remember them! : )
I usually draw a really hot bath and soak in the tub to read if my muscles are really hurting a lot. If I'm more fatigued than in pain, I prop up in the bed and read or sit in the recliner. I have loved to read in the bathtub since I was in elementary school! When we built our home, one of the most important factors was the placement of the house based on the view from my garden tub! It looks out over 70 acres or so of woods! Every season is beautiful.
Another thing I do to "enforce" rest is watch a movie - nothing suspenseful or too heavy...a light romantic comedy or interesting drama. Sometimes it is an old favorite to go to sleep to!
Of course, sometimes sleep is the only option - then its either on top of the bed with a blanket (feels more like a nap when you are not under the covers, doesn't it?) or on the couch "watching a movie."
When you deal with fatigue on a daily basis, you have to learn to give your body the rest it needs and not feel guilty about it. If you feel guilty about it, you can't really rest. so you just have to accept the fact that you have to do it and DO IT!! If you are fighting the need to rest or feeling guilty about it, here are some verses to ponder:
Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Psalms 116:7 "Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you."
I found the best way for me to get rest when I need it is to read. I have always loved to read! The past three years I was fortunate enough to work with several women who also love to read - they shared a lot of great books with me (thanks, Leslie & Rebecca!). My favorites are in a list here - I've provided links to my favorite authors too! I'll be adding more books I've read as I remember them! : )
I usually draw a really hot bath and soak in the tub to read if my muscles are really hurting a lot. If I'm more fatigued than in pain, I prop up in the bed and read or sit in the recliner. I have loved to read in the bathtub since I was in elementary school! When we built our home, one of the most important factors was the placement of the house based on the view from my garden tub! It looks out over 70 acres or so of woods! Every season is beautiful.
Another thing I do to "enforce" rest is watch a movie - nothing suspenseful or too heavy...a light romantic comedy or interesting drama. Sometimes it is an old favorite to go to sleep to!
Of course, sometimes sleep is the only option - then its either on top of the bed with a blanket (feels more like a nap when you are not under the covers, doesn't it?) or on the couch "watching a movie."
When you deal with fatigue on a daily basis, you have to learn to give your body the rest it needs and not feel guilty about it. If you feel guilty about it, you can't really rest. so you just have to accept the fact that you have to do it and DO IT!! If you are fighting the need to rest or feeling guilty about it, here are some verses to ponder:
Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Psalms 116:7 "Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you."
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Soaring
My journey with chronic pain and fatigue began in 1991. It has been a hard hard road, but one full of blessings. It took me a LONG time to begin to see the blessings though...its hard so much of the time to see past the pain and/or fatigue. But since those early years, God has given me more than I could have ever imagined then. Though still colored by pain and fatigue, my life is so full and rich.
How do you make it through days and days....then weeks and weeks...then years and years of pain, knowing the future likely holds more of the same? In a word - God! His Word is full of Hope and Promise - His very Presence a comfort and peace.
God gave me a verse years ago, even before I had fibromyalgia, that has always given me hope and strength. It is Isaiah 40:31 - "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Over the years, God has led me to deeper and deeper meanings of this verse - and also opened my eyes to the verses just BEFORE this one - starting with verse 28: "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall" First - that GOD will never grow tired or weary, no matter how weary and tired I am, no matter how much I feel like giving up - HE NEVER WILL! I can always lean on him for strength. When I am weak, HE is strong! And even more than that, He gives ME power! Is that not awesome!
That's the meaning of my blog title - I soar on God's power and strength, even with a broken wing! Praise God! I pray that I can be an encouragement to others out there who struggle with the same or similary issues in their lives. What verse(s) has/have God given to you for your struggles with pain? Please share! God Bless!
How do you make it through days and days....then weeks and weeks...then years and years of pain, knowing the future likely holds more of the same? In a word - God! His Word is full of Hope and Promise - His very Presence a comfort and peace.
God gave me a verse years ago, even before I had fibromyalgia, that has always given me hope and strength. It is Isaiah 40:31 - "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Over the years, God has led me to deeper and deeper meanings of this verse - and also opened my eyes to the verses just BEFORE this one - starting with verse 28: "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall" First - that GOD will never grow tired or weary, no matter how weary and tired I am, no matter how much I feel like giving up - HE NEVER WILL! I can always lean on him for strength. When I am weak, HE is strong! And even more than that, He gives ME power! Is that not awesome!
That's the meaning of my blog title - I soar on God's power and strength, even with a broken wing! Praise God! I pray that I can be an encouragement to others out there who struggle with the same or similary issues in their lives. What verse(s) has/have God given to you for your struggles with pain? Please share! God Bless!
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