As summer comes to an end, I am reminded of the blessings life has to offer.
Yes, there are blessings to be found if we take the time to look.
Summer brought warmth, gardening, flowers and dragonflies!
(We won’t mention, mosquitos, ticks, and sun rashes…this is a post about finding blessings.)
However, if you live each day in chronic pain, as I do, it is very hard to have your first response be positive. Being positive can be a moment by moment task.
I have Fibromyalgia. It is an on-going, never-ending battle of daily pain.
Things I do today will cause a delayed pain response which can take up to two days for my body to react to. I have kept journals for eating, what I do each day, the weather, and where I’ve gone. I have kept these journals for over two years now trying to figure out what my “triggers” are.
I have not found one thing I do that does not cause me pain (which basically means everything I do will cause me pain).
Subsequently, I am limited to what I do, knowing how much pain I will be in.
(Try finding a blessing in that!!)
For example, I know that grocery shopping will wipe me out within two days, so I plan to shop on a day when I have no commitments up to two days later.
The blessing is in the planning!
I have learned to pace myself throughout each day.
As a homeschooling Momma I know that sometimes pacing does not work. I have various personalities, hormone levels and unexpected “life” occurances which alter the pacing strategy I try to implement each day. But I do manage to maintain some level of pacing as often as possible and it does make a difference.
Watching for those daily blessings helps keep me going.
I find enjoyment in my children! I have some who make me laugh continuously throughout the day. That is a blessing!
Lighting candles brings me peace, so I try to have one burning daily. Another blessing!
I also have found that no matter when I wake up each day, it will be a struggle. So, I try to get up before anyone else so I can enjoy some Momma quiet-time before the hustle and bustle of the day drags me along into the fast-paced current of responsibility.
This means a lot earlier because it takes me so long to get going, but I find that to be a blessing and worth it. During those early morning moments of reading my Bible and using my planner book (which is especially helpful with Fibro-fog) and it gives me an opportunity to focus on me and God, which in turn helps me handle to pain better, which also is a blessing.
Handling the pain better means handling the children better.
When you are in pain, it can make you short and curt. Leaning on God helps with that.
Each season brings blessings. I for one am looking forward to autumn. It is my favorite time of the year and I plan to find numerous blessings in each autumn day!
Yes, the uncertainty of the rainy weather in the fall wreaks havoc on Fibromyalgia pain.
Yes, the cooler weather brings on more achy joints and migraines.
But if you take a look around you and see the beauty of God’s world being transformed in an array of autumn hues, that is a blessing in itself!
Look for those blessings each day. You will find them!
Happy last day of summer!
Hurray for autumn!
~The Fibro Momma of ten~
