Friday, April 04, 2014

Better and Better


"Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!"   ... Psalm 33:24

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Two weeks ago I'd leave my house to walk around the block and by the time I passed the first house, my lower back would begin hurting.

After the first house! (Darn my spending the whole winter on The Red Couch, anyway.)

Talk about some uncomfortable walks. But I took them anyway, if it was at least 30 degrees, that is (didn't want to get ridiculous about the whole thing). And I became more serious about doing back-strengthening exercises in front of the tv.

Then yesterday about halfway home, something hit me! (No, not a car or a branch, thank-goodness. heh.). Rather, this thought: "Oh my goodness! My back feels only a bit tight and tired. It doesn't hurt anymore!"

I can handle a bit tight and tired.

Lesson? Hang in there and keep doing whatever God (wisely) asks of you. Take the walks, stop the needless spending, pay the bills off one at a time. Teach yourself how to live creatively, gratefully, lovingly. Learn how to become healthy, save money, grow your own food, prepare for any emergency. 

When I change most quickly? It's the times I stop blaming others or circumstances (real grown-ups don't blame). When I don't let myself think, "This hasn't worked yet and never will. This is too hard so I may as well stop."

Still, most real change takes time and effort and prayer and God. And this I know about God--He's generally not in a hurry. Instead, He watches us closely in The Meantime Places to see how sweet and brave and faithful we remain. 

Most of Life takes place in those Meantime Places, after all.





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Your life is what your thoughts make it. 
Marcus Aurelius



 "For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he..."   ... Proverbs 23:7


"Every great achievement was once considered impossible." ... Travis Vick


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Considering quitting something like your blog or a new project? Please read this first.

3 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Love the quote by Rumi ! We are having nice weather,except for the occasional storm, hope you get Spring weather soon,it will make those walks a lot nicer !

Anonymous said...

It sounds like you might find a product we use helpful...for the aches and pains...it is called FIRM by the Mannetech company...no we do not sell it, we buy it. I find it helps with all sorts of pains, and it is a natural product. Much better than ingesting something for pain.

Hope it gets easier for you as you go along...we try to walk too...some days we are so sore!! Old age ain't for the faint of heart eh?
Elizabeth in WA, STILL HUNTING for an apt.

Debra said...

Elizabeth--I like that quote, too, and it's proved to be such a life changing thing for me to do these past 20 years. Your weather is probably amazing right around now... I'm oping for amazing to stay for more than a day or two around here soon!

Elizabeth--thanks for the recommendation! Fortunately for now, when my back begins to hurt I just sit down and it immediately feels better. Whew. Hopefully it will grow stronger and stronger as I do yard work! :)

Thanks, Ladies! ... Debra