Finding Meaning for the Difficult Parts of Life

 

On the cusp of experiencing full recovery from my injuries of this past spring, I now find myself having to deal with a completely different kind of physical ailment. It’s not deadly, though it can lead to issues that increase the risk of infection and illness. It’s not disabling, though it definitely degrades the quality of one’s life.

It’s an issue that most neurodivergent people and most postmenopausal women face. Both groups seem to more or less be told, “You can’t do anything about it, so learn to live with it.”

I’m talking about digestive problems.

I’m going to shelve that for a few moments, as that’s not the point of this article. The point is, last year, I had a molar removed to get rid of a chronic infection. Two weeks later, I fell hard onto my left rib cage. I had just recovered from that when I tried a dance move that tore my right gluteus maximus... a week before a scheduled road trip. This year, I experienced a sequence of not-major-but-tricky injuries, one after the other, debilitating me for months.

Now, my husband is having to work out with his brother what to do with their father, who is showing obvious signs of dementia. That’s right on the heels of my mother having a heart attack and needing stents put into her arteries.

And all along, I haven’t been able to properly digest starches, avocado, or herbs and herbal supplements for years. Recently, my body began to rebel against certain fruits I used to have no trouble with, such as mango and pineapple.

God is up to something.

Fifteen years ago, Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic who ministers the love of Yeshua to disabled people, received a diagnosis of breast cancer. Her dizzying response as she was processing the shock was, “God is up to something.”

The first time I heard this, I stiffened with righteous indignation. God didn’t put cancer on people to teach them a lesson! She got the cancer because she was eating the wrong foods and/or showering with chlorinated water!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I knew it all back when I was forty.

And if age hadn’t wisened me up, I would be thrusting a fist and a mouthful of curses to heaven every day. “Why me? Do You hate me? What have I done to deserve this?”

I’m not going to lie and say I haven’t had my moments. But with hindsight, I think it’s safe to say that God is up to something.

Blessings in disguise.

Right now, I’m only fifty-five years old. This is a great time to learn how to slow down and take care of both my mental and physical health. It’s not the most optimum time to go through healing of physical injuries, but I can’t blame God. He’s given me plenty of warnings and other, smaller lessons to get me to be more careful, to live a quieter life, but I didn’t listen.

Now, after this nightmare of a spring – of the past few years, really - I’m listening. And learning.

Because when I’m seventy, my body will heal even more slowly. And stress will have an even greater impact on my psyche. My learning to slow down now ensures less risk of hurting myself when I get older.

And walking with older parents through their difficulties? It’s an opportunity for growth, growth in our relationship with the Lord as we learn to cast our cares upon Him, growth in our own store of personal wisdom, growth in patience and compassion.

Back to my digestive problems: I’m having to face the hard truth that a high percentage of them can be alleviated if I would only do the work to take care of the root causes of the symptoms. And as I face that truth, I must lean against God even harder, depend upon His leading… and thank Him for this blessing in disguise.

Because it’s another opportunity to improve my quality of life while I’m still relatively young. It’s an opportunity to learn what certain types of foods can cause certain problems (I’m talking about whole foods, not junk!) when consumed in what is excess for my sensitive body. 

Better, or bitter?

There’s an old saying that when life throws challenges your way, you can choose to get better or bitter. You can choose to seek God and other people to help you overcome the challenges, or you can slog through them with an attitude and come out the other side cynical, defeated, and angry at the world.

You can dig into the well of resources within and without, determining to work toward victory, or you can give up before you even get started.

Silver lining, cloud. Half-full, half-empty.

The truth is, whatever you’re going through right now, God can use it for good. He can use it to give you a brighter future.

If only you’ll let Him.

(For more inspiring content like this, you can follow this blog if you have a Google account, bookmark this blog, follow my blog on Goodreads, and/or check out the books in the sidebar.)