The Good, The Bad , and the Just Plain Gross!

Ya'll... there are actually some days that I am glad that no one is sleeping next to me at night! I have had the crud for the past week now and about the only thing that would make me feel any worse is knowing that someone I loved had to look at me or smell me in this condition! Seriously!!!!

There is snot dripping out of my nose... constantly.

The only thing I have been able to stomach for several days is Ginger Ale so when I cough... I fart.

When I cough, it sounds like I am hacking up a lung... or at the very least a fur ball.

My eyes are puffy, my lips are chapped, and I have blown my nose so many times that it is crusty and peeling... looking very much like crusty boogers!

I wake up in the middle of the night with cough drop drool pooling on my pillow.

If I don't have a tissue handy when I feel a sneeze coming on... it's best to run for cover 'cause part of my brain may come spewing out.

I'm pretty sure even Shrek would be grossed out at this point!

If you are wondering about "The Good" it's that it seems my condition is improving and I may in fact live after all. It was touch and go for a while but... I'm on the mend and able to laugh at the grossness!

I pray that the crud has not spread to your home but, if it has, I pray you find the humor in it!

Drippy Blessings,
LeAnn

Care for the Caregiver

Someone that I love very much is in pain. Her mother, Becky, has advanced stage 4 cancer. Becky is in a great deal of physical pain and has started losing control of her own body.

I remember all to well the feelings of helplessness as I watched my husband fade away from me, losing his memory, his ability to reason, and then his ability to walk, speak, and control bodily functions. If you have lived through this, you know what I'm talking about. It is simply one of the worst things imaginable... watching someone you love so dearly slip slowly and painfully away.

Listening to my friend, Melissa, talk about her mother and her mother's husband, I am reminded of my own feelings as Ron's "caregiver." Friends, caregivers need care! Melissa could hear the stress in her mother's husband's voice. She could hear that he was about to break and this compelled her to drop everything and rescue him. Yes, this is her mother and of course she wants to help care for her. However, as I suspect many of you have experienced, many times the one who is sick doesn't want help. They feel guilty... they don't want to be a burden.

This is a rough place to be and there is no perfect solution. You want to respect the person's wishes and their feelings but, it's important that they understand your feelings as well. Here are a few suggestions based on my experience:

Like my friend, Melissa... don't take "no" for an answer. Trust me - if you aren't there for them now, you will regret it later. Express your feelings. Let them know that they are not a burden and that it is a blessing to you that you are able to care for them. Tell them that you couldn't imagine being any place else.

Treasure this time! Time spent together sharing your heart and caring for someone you love is never wasted.

If you are visiting someone who is chronically or terminally ill, bring something for the person's caregiver when you visit. Don't overlook them. They need your prayers and support too. (Don't forget those caring for aging parents!)

Give a caregiver a break! I remember how difficult it was to take a shower or a nap. If someone didn't come to help, I simply couldn't bath or sleep. If Ron was left unattended, he pulled his IVs out of his arm so I never left his side. When you combine your emotional pain with exhaustion and frustration, you are an explosion waiting to happen.

I hope my friend Melissa is a reminder that the caregiver needs care too. If someone in your life is caring for someone right now, pray about what you can do to care for them.

Blessings,
LeAnn

The Little Things

How many of us spend so much time waiting for the big things that we don't even notice the little blessings that occur each day? I know I've been guilty of this!

During the first months after Ron died it was all I could do to get through each day. I was on auto-pilot most of the time. I did just what needed to get done and spent the rest of my time pretending that everything was OK. That, in itself, was exhausting!

Here's what I learned... and continue to learn...

God is there all the time.

No matter what.

In all things.

In good times and in bad.

We just have to look for Him.

We have to notice and be grateful for the little blessings.

The ones that take place in extraordinary ways in the midst of our ordinary days.

If we are too distracted by what's going wrong in our lives, we may miss the extraordinary! If we are too busy pretending that life is OK when deep down we are not OK, we may miss His presence in our lives.

I NEVER want to miss His presence in my life.

I NEVER want to be so busy that I miss the extraordinary.

I NEVER want to be so consumed with waiting for the big miracle, that I miss the little miracles... the little miracles that He spoon feeds to us to keep us going and to keep us mindful of His presence.

I was mindful of His presence last week when I went to get my hair colored (not in my budget) without knowing the cost and the gal looked at me and said, "I read your article in the P31 Woman magazine. I didn't know you were a single-mom. Why don't you tell me what you can afford and that's what my services will cost from now on."

I was mindful of His presence when this same gal told me she needed 20 Bibles for the inner-city youth she and her husband work with and, on that same day, we received a donation that would cover the cost of the Bibles.

I was mindful of His presence when He told me to take off my favorite necklace and give it to a woman in my Sunday School class. I found out the next day that she had been dealing with issues of unworthiness. God showed her that she was worthy by giving her something beautiful.

My friends, don't miss an opportunity to feel His presence in your day-to-day lives. He is there in the midst of our ordinary days... He carries us on our not-so-good days and knocks our socks off when we open our hearts to His goodness and mercy.

How has God revealed Himself to you lately?

Sweet Blessings,
LeAnn