anxiety

NO substitutions!

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment

I had a fascinating discussion with a customer the other day that God used to answer a prayer.  The customer approached my register, ordered his meal and asked for lemonade to drink.  A few minutes later, he was back with the lemonade to complain.  “This doesn’t taste right..it’s sour.  Let me try the diet lemonade (made with Splenda) and see if it’s any sweeter.”  So I poured him a small bit of the diet in another cup, he tried it, and made an awful face, declaring, “this is too sour too!  Do you have any other kind?”

The answer, of course, was no.  We fresh squeeze our lemons, and the lemonade containers are clearly marked with their ingredients..either “lemons, water, sugar” or “water, lemons, Splenda”.  There is no prepackaged lemon stuff involved…its all from lemons just the way God made them!  So he went away with diet Coke in his hand.

After work, I was mulling over how ridiculous it was that he would turn down the real thing because he liked the fake better!  And then I realized..a struggle that I had been praying about in my own life was the same way!  I was asking God to bless what I wanted, that I really knew was not “the best” but was an acceptable (to me) 2nd choice..and I was just like my customer!  I almost insisted on the “fake” (my choice) instead of the “real”, His choice, if I was just willing to wait!

Lesson learned!  And next time YOU have a choice or decision, remember this story..and accept no substitutions!

Fighting Inflammation

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment

Although I absolutely love being back at Chick Fil A, my knees, legs, and feet are NOT having a good time….at all!!  I have developed osteo-arthritis, and I have a bone spur underneath my right knee.  Which was not a big deal, really, when I sat all day in front of a computer.

Now, however, I am in constant search of advil, aleve, tylenol, you get the picture!  4 hour days are not easy, but they are doable.  The longer shifts are still a constant fight between my knees and my stomach – as in, I can only take so many Nsaids before trouble begins.  So, I have a counter full of other remedies…epson salt, epson salt/lavender/camomille bath stuff, Blue Emu (yes, really) pain relief gel, etc.  I have tried three different knee braces, and not one of them fits my currently chubby upper thighs!  Believe me when I say “one size fits all!”  and “adjustable to any size!” are empty promises.  And I have two pair of heavyduty comfort wear shoes.  I’d say I have spent at least $150 trying to make working there not just possible, but relatively painfree.

Yesterday, however, I was reading an article about arthritis and inflammation, hoping for some new enlightenment.  And, DUH! I have spent all my time and efforts on curing the symptoms of my disease…and haven’t been paying attention to eliminating a lot of the cause of the disease.  And other than the weight issue that I wrote about the other day, there is the issue of inflammation. Caused by diet, in great part.  As in, I can help my own cause.  Which, I admit, I already knew some of, but was not willing to want to “remember”.  There are foods that I can avoid, and of course foods that I can add, to counteract the inflammation in my own body.  So I am studying, and working out a plan.  Some will be easy (adding fish oil) and some will not (adding walnuts, minus the brownies I usually put them in)!  But actually doing will be MUCH more effective than treating the symptoms!

And of course, God is using this to teach me something!  Inflammation happens in my spiritual walk, and in my daily life too.  There have been times that I have found myself miserable, frustrated, worried, or upset.  I can look back to those and realize that I had allowed “inflammation” into my life – gossip, bitterness, anger, sin, pride, and other hurtful things.  I have been in places where my spirit was damaged, not lifted up.  I have participated in activities that caused my heart to be in more pain than my knees ever thought about!  I have listened to the world, and allowed its influence to inflame my environment and keep my eyes off Jesus.  And I also have a shelf full of rememdies – like my bath stuff – that only addressed the symptoms.

The answer?  While I am overhauling my diet, I am going to be overhauling my environment!  I want to be inflammation free, and I believe God will help..anyone want to join me?