Life is always an adventure, but what kind of adventure it is, is always up to you. I choose joy.
Today was a bad day as far as pain goes. I don’t cry easily when it comes to the pain in my body. But today I cried. While I cried…I chose joy. And gratitude. Lots of gratitude! I chose laughter – even when the jokes being told by my physical therapist were falling kind of flat.
As I sat in the dark room, having walked into the clinic in pain and without an appointment, with a heating pack and legs slightly elevated…I thanked God. I was crying, my back and shoulders hurt so bad. It hurt to breathe, the nerves in my shoulders had become tight and pinched. And I praised God.
He made me this way. Before time began He knew exactly what I would be like. When He formed me in the womb, He knew. Praise the Lord, He knew!
As the heat worked it’s way into my muscles and the tears of pain ceased, tears of gratitude took their place. Thank you Lord for the heat! Thank you Lord for physical therapy! Thank you Lord for kind and compassionate health care providers who drop whatever they can to help ease my pain. Thank you Lord for the time and place in which I live, that I have ready access to this kind of care! Thank you Lord for the wisdom of the providers, and their teachers who helped them learn! Thank you Lord for my employer who so graciously let me leave work to get help. Thank you Lord for health insurance that made the visit affordable! Thank you Lord for the relief of pain.
Then…the blessed massage and interesting ultrasound. I had never heard of how ultrasound can help stimulate blood flow that then helps muscles relax! Thank you Lord for this bit of scientific technology that brings gentle relief! And the massage chair – so comfortable. The massage… the gentle massage from a teenager with gentle nimble fingers the rubbed the pain away for almost 45 minutes without complaint. Thank you Lord!
This journey with my back has been one that is going on 28 years. I was blessed to be able to make the choice from early on to choose joy or sorrow. I chose joy…and I still choose joy. This pain is going to get worse before it gets better, and true healing will only come through the Father either through a miracle this side of heaven, or through the redemption of this body in heaven.
Life for me will always be a joyful adventure. I may occasionally falter for a half step before once again choosing joy. Joy will always win out.
I can choose joy because my joy is found in My Lord and that joy surpasses any circumstance in my life.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Life As A Joyful Adventure 