About a month or two ago, something dawned on me. I'm selfish. I guess since I'm also human this really should not have been a big surprise. But it was.
I had felt pretty justified in my interactions with others and felt like if there was a difference of opinion, I was generally right and they just needed to see things my way. And I'd do all that was within my power to try to show them the light - I'm "helpful" like that.
But then it hit me one day. I was not being a blessing to the people around me. I'm not really sure why that had not been especially important to me before. Or why, once I realized this flaw, it became far more important to me to be a blessing, but that is kind of how God has seemed to work in my life time and time again.
While I often envy the people with the amazing testimony of total transformation, I am coming to realize that I couldn't handle it. I need things in smaller doses. Smaller transformations at a time, so that they will be lasting transformations.
So, my daily prayer for these past couple of months has been for God to show me how I can be a blessing to someone around me that day. I have often been an "all or nothing" type of person, so this has been a project in discipline. To daily come before my Heavenly Father and actually present myself as a sacrifice to Him and ask that He give me a task to do for someone else, has been very humbling for me.
And yet, as with everything God shows me to do, while I have started out making an effort to be a blessing to others, I often find that I am the one who ends up being the most blessed for the experience.
Showing posts with label blessings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blessings. Show all posts
Saturday, September 3, 2011
A Visit to the Doctor
I had an interesting visit to the doctor's office today.
First, as I was discussing the medications that I have been taking in recent months, I informed the tech that the extended release form was not working as well as the short acting form had worked. She then shared that she is on extended release for ADD and has experienced the same thing with her medications. She said that it seems to wear off around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. She then began talking about her children who like to try to sleep in on the weekdays, but who wake up at the "butt crack" of dawn on the weekends. While it was only 10AM when she said this, I'd venture to say that her meds had already worn off as her impulse control was not working.
Then, while waiting for my meds to be refilled I noticed that a "lady" in the waiting area was wearing a lovely sundress. However, it covered almost none of her bra, which she seemed to be wearing as an accessory and not as the secret that Victoria recommends.
As I sat there pondering all these things and shocked at the behaviors of those around me, I had someone sit down beside me who struck up a conversation. I realized fairly quickly I had actually met her before, but she did not seem to remember me. I decided to keep my identity quiet as it might negatively impact our conversation. You see, when I met her before, it was because she approached my husband and I when she was his patient.
Today, she was sharing with me that she is a cancer patient and that she has sought second opinions because her options have become so limited. She is presently receiving radiation in hopes of being a candidate for surgery. She shared that her child is getting ready to turn 4 next week and the day after she will be meeting with the surgeon to find out if he is willing to operate. If so, she will lose her leg and her bladder. If not, she will lose her life. If she had realized I am the wife of the doctor whose opinion she did not trust, she may have simply walked away and not shared what is happening in her life.
I cannot imagine what she is facing yet she cried no tears, just shared. I don't know what her secret is, because I cry over the dumbest things. She shared about a recent trip to Disney that others had given their family through fund raising and how they had been so blessed through it all. She showed me a picture of her children, 3 and 8 years old. And she did it all with an upbeat attitude.
Every day recently I have prayed and asked that God will show me someone who I can bless at some point in the day. I don't know if He answered that prayer today because I never felt as if I went out of my way to be a blessing to anyone. But, He did bless me today. I cannot imagine being in the position of praying that you can lose your leg just so you can spend more time with the people you love. But I interacted with someone today is who is praying that very thing right now and preparing herself for the "no" answer she may receive next week.
For anyone who reads this, I don't know her name, and I'll probably never have an update because my DH cannot share such information with me out of respect for confidentiality, but I do hope you will lift her up in your prayers.
First, as I was discussing the medications that I have been taking in recent months, I informed the tech that the extended release form was not working as well as the short acting form had worked. She then shared that she is on extended release for ADD and has experienced the same thing with her medications. She said that it seems to wear off around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. She then began talking about her children who like to try to sleep in on the weekdays, but who wake up at the "butt crack" of dawn on the weekends. While it was only 10AM when she said this, I'd venture to say that her meds had already worn off as her impulse control was not working.
Then, while waiting for my meds to be refilled I noticed that a "lady" in the waiting area was wearing a lovely sundress. However, it covered almost none of her bra, which she seemed to be wearing as an accessory and not as the secret that Victoria recommends.
As I sat there pondering all these things and shocked at the behaviors of those around me, I had someone sit down beside me who struck up a conversation. I realized fairly quickly I had actually met her before, but she did not seem to remember me. I decided to keep my identity quiet as it might negatively impact our conversation. You see, when I met her before, it was because she approached my husband and I when she was his patient.
Today, she was sharing with me that she is a cancer patient and that she has sought second opinions because her options have become so limited. She is presently receiving radiation in hopes of being a candidate for surgery. She shared that her child is getting ready to turn 4 next week and the day after she will be meeting with the surgeon to find out if he is willing to operate. If so, she will lose her leg and her bladder. If not, she will lose her life. If she had realized I am the wife of the doctor whose opinion she did not trust, she may have simply walked away and not shared what is happening in her life.
I cannot imagine what she is facing yet she cried no tears, just shared. I don't know what her secret is, because I cry over the dumbest things. She shared about a recent trip to Disney that others had given their family through fund raising and how they had been so blessed through it all. She showed me a picture of her children, 3 and 8 years old. And she did it all with an upbeat attitude.
Every day recently I have prayed and asked that God will show me someone who I can bless at some point in the day. I don't know if He answered that prayer today because I never felt as if I went out of my way to be a blessing to anyone. But, He did bless me today. I cannot imagine being in the position of praying that you can lose your leg just so you can spend more time with the people you love. But I interacted with someone today is who is praying that very thing right now and preparing herself for the "no" answer she may receive next week.
For anyone who reads this, I don't know her name, and I'll probably never have an update because my DH cannot share such information with me out of respect for confidentiality, but I do hope you will lift her up in your prayers.
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