Laughing all the way...

Hi everyone! It’s been a while since we’ve talked. There has been a LOT going on, some good, some, not so much. A friend told me recently that she noticed that my blogs had gone a little “dark”, and honestly, she was right (it did cause her to pray for me because she knew something was up). My writing usually reflects where I am at the time. Sometimes I struggle with how and what to write, depending on what is going on. I love sharing what God teaches me as I walk through this life, but sometimes I do not have the courage to share as honestly as I’d like to. Sometimes I need time to process life’s happenings and other times, I just feel like I’m not really “qualified” to write at all. But, I’ve got to keep writing. It ministers to my soul and by God’s grace I pray that it ministers to yours as well.

I told another friend recently that if I were completely honest with you all, I have not written because I sometimes fear that God might just ask me to walk through what I am writing about if He has not already asked me to do so, or in other words, that He might ask me to really, really practice what I preach. Well of course I should practice what I preach! I hope I do. I try to. It is the desire of my heart. My friends answer to this all was, “Terry Bob, (her nick name for me), just write about your fears, be honest”, and so here it is. (Side note…I’m SO thankful for my friends)

There have been so many challenges lately. They have included a two and a half month long cancer scare (which turned out fine, Praise God! Thanks to so many for your prayers!!), family challenges, and because of the cancer testing, no arthritis meds for several months. That has not been a pleasant experience. I have learned the hard way just how much I really need those meds. I call them “poison” and I’m sure that is what they are but without them, I have little quality of life. Sometimes I feel like all I do is complain. Sometimes, I feel like I am no good to anyone because my pain level prevents me from doing things that I once did easily. Well, today, I do not want to complain. Today I want to choose joy! Today I want to be thankful! Today, I want to LAUGH! Yes, I said laugh!

Earlier today, when I was returning home from one of five doctor appointments this week, I was taking one of my favorite routes home. I started thinking about writing a blog about seeing the beauty of God’s creation even in the dead of winter. I could tell you about the beautiful little blue bird that has been visiting our feeders recently and talk about how we can find God even in the winter seasons of life. Instead, God filled my head with the idea of a funny blog. I’ll warn you, I’m not a very funny person, but I decided to go for it anyway. While driving down this scenic route that meanders along a local river, I spotted a majestic bald eagle perched in a tall tree. If it was summer time, I might have missed it. There I go again, spotting beauty and reasons to smile even in the dead of winter.

For some odd reason (you’d have to know me), that eagle took my mind from thinking about  beauty in the winter to the idea of finding humor even when every inch of your body hurts with the exception of your knees. I just do not laugh as much as I used to. I thought about it and decided to laugh rather than to cry, which frankly, is what I felt like doing after having five different shots, physical therapy, 5 doctor appointments and an infusion this week! Anyway, back to laughing. A mental picture flashed into my tiny brain. It looked something like this, so try to imagine it with me. I am over the hill (yes I really am), flying down that hill rapidly towards old age, and with every bump that I seem to hit, I injure or wear out another body part! Yes, I know, it doesn’t sound funny at all, and no, it really is not, but what can a girl do? What good is crying going to do at this point? I’m also picturing my friend, literally laughing at (or with) me as I roll down that hill as fast as I can go, out of control. (Reminds me of my first skiing trip)Yes, she is that kind of friend but that is one of the many things that I love about her. I can hear her laughing now! After all, she did make me climb a tree one time, and she taught me to dance in the rain. I used to be the kind of girl who would never get her hair wet, but now thanks to her, I love dancing in the rain. If it were raining right now, I’d go out and dance in her honor!

And, so, today, instead of complaining about pain and about getting so many shots this week, that I’m going to start leaking, I choose to laugh. At least for now, I’m going to laugh out loud about the picture of me climbing trees and dancing in the rain with my friend, and even more hilarious, me dressed in my pink active wear suit and tennis shoes, rolling down the hill of life with as many bumps as a mogul ski slope, eyes and mouth wide open, laughing all the way. That picture may not make you laugh. It might even frighten you! (I warned you…I’m not that funny!) But it sure feels good to laugh! I do not know what tomorrow brings. I am hoping for less pain, and less doctor appointments, but if that does not happen, I hope that I will still choose to look up, keep my eyes on the prize and smile.

I hope that if you are rapidly rolling down a bumpy hill of life today that you will also be able to focus on something beautiful and smile, or better yet laugh if you can. You are not alone. If you are a child of the King, then He is with you. He knows and feels your pain. He loves you and He is smiling over you.

God bless you and thanks for reading!

 “Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)