(11/19/10)
Yesterday in health class we discussed the word ‘perception’ as it is applied to the area of stress management. How we perceive, or think about, things makes a big difference in how we handle them. Let me give you an example. For the last few weeks I have been dealing with this area of irritation around my eyes. They are red and scaly looking, and I haven’t quite figured out what the cause is. Well, this morning, I woke up with my eyes not only red and scaly, but also swollen. I was more than a little annoyed being that I looked as if I had just finished a prize fight. OK, let’s move on. For the past ten days I have been fighting off a cold. Three days ago water came into my room due to the bad rains and kicked up the mold in the carpet. I tried to sleep in there, but it caused me too many problems so I have been sleeping on the couch. Along with a tight back and lack of sleep, my cold has gone deeper into my chest. Joy!! I get to juggle several different prescriptions to help me with bronchitis. Next problem… the person who wired our house did a terrible job. This morning as I was drying my hair, a fuse blew. This is not the first time it has happened, but ever since the construction began on my parent’s house, the problem has gotten worse. So without having a mirror to work with, I went downstairs to finish drying my hair. Thankfully, I didn’t come back upstairs looking like “Cousin It”. I finally finished getting ready, and as I was leaving the house, I could not find my car. My father had moved it away from the construction site, and I didn’t know where it was. Needless to say, by the time I was on my way to school, I was in a bad mood. Now, being that you are probably tired of hearing me complain, and you may be wondering if there is a point to this message, here it is: The only way I was going to get through my morning without it wreaking havoc on my afternoon was to change my perception. And the only way my perception of my day was going to change without a sudden case of amnesia was through prayer. After a few minutes of whining (i.e. “God, I’m tired of feeling sick… I’m tired of dealing with this construction… I’m tired of sleeping on the couch… I’m tired of dealing with this irritation around my eyes”… do I need to go on?), I calmed down and just asked God for help. By the end of my drive into town I was thinking about all the things I was grateful for, and wonder of wonders, the irritation of my morning started to fade away. That doesn’t mean I still didn’t have issues to deal with, it just means that I traded in my perception for God’s…
- I have family who loves me.
- I have a wonderful daughter who makes me laugh.
- I have a boyfriend who loves me and does his best to take care of me.
- I have friends who have been there for me through some really rough times, and they are still there.
- I am able to go to school full time without having to work a separate job.
- I am doing well in school.
- My daughter is doing well in school.
- I am able to get medicine for myself if I do get sick (that’s one a lot of people don’t have).
- I have a roof over my head.
- I have plenty of clean water and good food to eat.
- I have a car that is in great shape and gets me everywhere I need to go.
- I am debt-free.
I could keep going with this list, but it would take up pages and pages, so let me wrap up. On top of every wonderful thing I have in my life, the most important is my relationship with God. As I continue to point out, He is always there for me. And when my list seems to come up short, He reminds me of how lengthy it truly is. As Thanksgiving is now upon us, take some time to make your gratitude list. Let God help you with it, and I promise your list will be long.
1 Chronicles 16:8-12
Psalm 100
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Psalm 30:11-12
Philippians 4:11-13
Philippians 2:5
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