I had one of those "ah hah" moments today. Something perhaps that I already knew but was reminded of.
Last week, when I went in for my follow-up appointment (aka the NIGHTMARE), I had a hard time making it through to the end because I didn't honestly know what was going to happen during the appointment and when faced with pain and suffering, I didn't know how long it would last.
Any of you who have run a marathon, or done something else incredibly hard, will know that half the battle with pain is a mental one. Yes, your body hurts and yes, you are tired, but as long as you keep positive thoughts in your head, you feel that you can make it. When I ran my marathons, it was a conversation in my mind of "just make it to the next mile marker", or "only six miles left to go" or "I'm already half-way done". I knew what I had to endure and I felt like I could muster the strength to make it. Going into labor is the same thing. A certain amount of pain and suffering, but in the end it's all good :-)
Last week, at that appointment, I didn't have an understanding of what I would need to endure. Nobody told me what my appointment would involve and once the procedure began, I had no idea how long it would last. Not knowing the length of endurance was frightful to me. I was in pain, and I couldn't see an end to it. It scared me to death.
Today, I headed back for the same kind of appointment, but knowing what was going to happen changed everything. I knew that if I could endure 2-3 minutes of pain, I would feel much better afterwards. While having the same procedure done, I kept mental control over my emotions. "Just a few more seconds and this will be over" went through my mind. I knew the length of time it would take, and I endured the pain. In fact, when the doctor checked my sinuses after the procedure and saw that he needed to go in again, I was okay with that. The pain was probably worse today than it was last week, but I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Unfortunately, the trials we face in life don't have a time limit although wouldn't it be lovely if they did? Wouldn't it be nice if Heavenly Father would say to us, "Don't worry--you won't have a job for two weeks, but after that, you'll be employed for the rest of your life," or "Yes, these supposed "friends" of yours are treating you poorly, but if you keep smiling, I'll send down my wrath on them, and you will feel much better", or "You will have six surgeries in five years, but if you endure it well, your family will be blessed for the next ten." It would be nice to know that when we have a trial, it will end by a certain time.
Too bad that isn't how it works.
I find it scary when trials pop up, and I wonder how long they will last. I find it even scarier when life is on cruise control for a time, and I wonder how long that will last before things fall apart again. That's the test isn't it?
Endurance.
I guess that instead of looking for one specific trial to end, we need to look at the big picture. This whole life is one big trial. No, I'm not a pessimist--there are lots of good things mixed in, but really, there are so many things to overcome. Can we stay happy, and optimistic, and can we trust in the Lord until this life is over? That's the real test.
Last week, when I went in for my follow-up appointment (aka the NIGHTMARE), I had a hard time making it through to the end because I didn't honestly know what was going to happen during the appointment and when faced with pain and suffering, I didn't know how long it would last.
Any of you who have run a marathon, or done something else incredibly hard, will know that half the battle with pain is a mental one. Yes, your body hurts and yes, you are tired, but as long as you keep positive thoughts in your head, you feel that you can make it. When I ran my marathons, it was a conversation in my mind of "just make it to the next mile marker", or "only six miles left to go" or "I'm already half-way done". I knew what I had to endure and I felt like I could muster the strength to make it. Going into labor is the same thing. A certain amount of pain and suffering, but in the end it's all good :-)
Last week, at that appointment, I didn't have an understanding of what I would need to endure. Nobody told me what my appointment would involve and once the procedure began, I had no idea how long it would last. Not knowing the length of endurance was frightful to me. I was in pain, and I couldn't see an end to it. It scared me to death.
Today, I headed back for the same kind of appointment, but knowing what was going to happen changed everything. I knew that if I could endure 2-3 minutes of pain, I would feel much better afterwards. While having the same procedure done, I kept mental control over my emotions. "Just a few more seconds and this will be over" went through my mind. I knew the length of time it would take, and I endured the pain. In fact, when the doctor checked my sinuses after the procedure and saw that he needed to go in again, I was okay with that. The pain was probably worse today than it was last week, but I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Unfortunately, the trials we face in life don't have a time limit although wouldn't it be lovely if they did? Wouldn't it be nice if Heavenly Father would say to us, "Don't worry--you won't have a job for two weeks, but after that, you'll be employed for the rest of your life," or "Yes, these supposed "friends" of yours are treating you poorly, but if you keep smiling, I'll send down my wrath on them, and you will feel much better", or "You will have six surgeries in five years, but if you endure it well, your family will be blessed for the next ten." It would be nice to know that when we have a trial, it will end by a certain time.
Too bad that isn't how it works.
I find it scary when trials pop up, and I wonder how long they will last. I find it even scarier when life is on cruise control for a time, and I wonder how long that will last before things fall apart again. That's the test isn't it?
Endurance.
I guess that instead of looking for one specific trial to end, we need to look at the big picture. This whole life is one big trial. No, I'm not a pessimist--there are lots of good things mixed in, but really, there are so many things to overcome. Can we stay happy, and optimistic, and can we trust in the Lord until this life is over? That's the real test.
It is very hard to go through the tough times but we have made it through a lot of them and we will continue to forge ahead through what comes in the future, a positive outlook and knowing they will eventually end are a big help!
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