Vacation Time

Hi Folks,

I’m going to be on vacation July 9 – July 14. Actually it will be a working vacation. I’ll be one of the adults accompanying about 8 or 9 of our youth to the Youth Conference in Orlando.

I almost thought that I wouldn’t make it. As a result of some excessive sign holding at the FREE Carwash fundraiser two Saturdays ago, yours truly ended up with a muscle spasm of gargantuan proportions. I was a bit sore on Sunday, but I figured that was par for the course. Monday, my day off, I allowed my bountiful blessings to go free for the day and basically bummed around the house.

Tuesday, I was still sore but under control. I had a hair braiding appointment around 12 noon. In hindsight, I think the clincher was when I hefted up my Denise Austin exercise chair to take it from the living room to my bedroom that I did the damage.

I went to Bible Class that night and then to work on Wednesday and Thursday. By the time Thursday night came around I was in deep doo doo. I began taking Ibuprofen and they did nothing. Then my sinuses decided to join the mix so I took an excedrin sinus and two Ibuprofens.

My sinuses were good… but my neck and shoulders were beginning to talk to me and they were calling me anything but a child of God.

I was bedridden. I literally ran out of bed to eat, shower and then ran back in. Saturday morning, I had to call in sick. My supervisor came through for me and covered for the day… but even better than that she came bearing the wonder drug Aleve (generic version of Naproxim Sodium … you should be hearing the halleluiah chorus by now… I know I was)

Then began the Aleve popping sleep all day long days.

The only position of comfort was laying on my back with my eyes raised to the ceiling or heavens or standing straight up with my hands fully raised and extended above my head. What one would consider the classic praise/surrender position.

I thought to myself, God truly does have a sense of humor. Since I was in the position, I began to praise Him. However as the pain increased … my praise became a bit shaky then stopped altogether. I didn’t have any friends like Job did to rally around me and ask me to examine and confess my sins that might have brought me to this point/situation.

Nor did I have a spouse or significant other who, tired of my suffering, encouraged me to curse God and die.

However, I did receive a visit from a recurring thought I had as a teenager. “Isn’t this enough? Why don’t you just end it all?” I must guiltily admit that I did entertain the thought for about five minutes or so, instead of treating it as the driveby thought that it was and allowing it to–drive by.

Anyway, I did note something. Knowing the weight of my bountiful blessings, I have always just half raised my arms when in church to avoid shoulder or neck pain. Yet, now in the midst of a muscle spasm… the only position that gives me any relief is the heretofore avoided, full out, hands upraised, classic praise/surrender position.

I was also almost reverted to the position of a baby. My neck could not support my head and my left arm could barely raise past waist level.

In hindsight I can see that I’d been heading down this road for a while. Poor posture at the computer, poor eating habits, poor exercise habits, poor praise habits, poor time management, poor housekeeping skills… I was just a pauper and didn’t even realize it!

I now have new appreciation for my temple (Christian talk for body) and resolve to continue the 45 minute walks around my complex, at least three times a week and to do a few more push-a-ways from the table.

My arm can now raise almost to shoulder level from the side, and since I stopped praising… it will no longer lift above my head in the praise/surrender position unless I use my right hand to assist it, however as I leave for Florida, I leave with a sense of expectation. I expect to return from Florida with my spasm totally healed!

That’s my rambling, sharing and caring/reflective moment for today.

Peace,
Dee

P.S. I doubt that I’ll have any computer access but please do take a moment to stop by my Dee411 Blog on Tuesday the 10th to welcome my hosted Author for that day, Meisha Camm.