"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance..." --- 1 Peter 1:14
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All summer I said, "If this disgusting cyst on my head isn't miraculously gone by August's end, I'll (finally) seek to have it removed."
Well, summer left (heat-wise), but the cyst remained.
Tom sweetly volunteered to find someone to remove it. His own doctor emailed back that a plastic surgeon would be best(!), but ha! We thought that overkill. Was he imagining this thing huge and on my face?
So Tom found a local dermatologist in our network and you know? Surprisingly, I felt no dread about a consulation and eventual removal. None. Timing and Grace were all over this.
Monday morning there we sat in the dermatologist's office. When she and her assistant stepped over to peek beneath my hair, she said, "Oh my! That is a cyst, all right," fortunately without backing up in terror (or gagging). heh.
The dermatologist said if it was smaller, she'd recommend just watching it over time (made me happy because that's what I'd done), but now it was parting my hair and showing. So she explained how she'll remove it next week.
Twice she and her assistant asked if there was anything else they could do for me, probably while scrutinizing the two moles on my neck, and beneath my make-up the chicken pox and acne scars and crows' feet, wrinkles and --
--but I said, "No thanks. I just need that ugly thing removed. I'm tired of wearing hats."
So next week, after 15 years, this cyst will be history. Only this past year was it a visual nuisance (and it's never hurt), but still. Whew.
Anyway, we arrived home and you know how once you've been in a minimalistic place, your own house can appear so cluttered? Yeah, it was like that.
Oh, not all of it, but our office and pantry room majorly irked me. Too much stuff!
But here's the encouraging thing--and the point of my post today. Immediately I reminded myself that hey, 4 years ago God asked me to 'get my house in order' and since then I've released over 2,000 items.
With consistency and time, one can do huge things. She can! Especially when Grace is there helping as she always does while we're obeying God in His timing.
So the excuses we make for procrastinating? It's all just whining to God--again if He asked us to do the task.
And because of the easy calendar notes I've kept while decluttering, I know the numbers of what I released. So when it appears I still have much to toss, I can 'encourage myself in the Lord' by repeating those numbers--
--and knowing I'm moving forward, even though some days, oh Honey, it doesn't look that way.
Yet how important to remind ourselves that real truth is stronger than appearance. It's much deeper. Always.
Lists! I highly recommend them. In fact, this year I'm using a spiral notebook for my weekly lists of things to do, as well as other lists:
Books to read
Foods for Tom so to avoid gout.
Movies to watch
Things to buy
Things to remember
Changes we made
Etc.
How terrific to have these all in one place, one notebook, usually beside me on the red couch. I find lists to be stress-reducers: they do my remembering for me.
Of course, if you have a smart phone, you can keep all those there, but as for this gal, she shall stick to paper. heh.
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For fellow lovers of Autumn, this was achingly beautiful.
And oh wow, this Fall Home Tour inspired me more than I can say. Usually these days I lean toward more minimal decor, but when you pack in everything so perfectly? Well, I'll take it. シ
And if you, like me, will probably never visit France or Italy, this was lovely. Oh, the sunlight and blue, blue water!
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... including when your calling is to get your house in order. ツ
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It's often futile to wait for other people to encourage us. Why not encourage ourselves?
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"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15
Debra, I'm really glad that your appointment with the dermatologist went well. When I read that, "Timing and Grace were all over this," I thought about the faithfulness of our loving Heavenly Father. My husband had a large cyst removed from his forehead a few years ago. If I remember right, there was some minor discomfort, but he was glad to have it off. I will help you pray for a great outcome.
ReplyDeleteI just got home from a two-day hospital stay. I had some complications from adhesions (from previous surgeries) and literally went from feeling fine to scary pain. I'm not a person who'd choose to go to the doctor, but when things go wrong, I sure am thankful for all those wonderful healthcare workers. They took such good care of me, but I want to praise God because my CT scan showed a twisted or herniated bowel, but the Lord made it right. When they did another procedure in Imaging, things were back to normal. Hallelujah! Now that I'm white-haired and nearing 70, I talk about the Lord to everyone and anyone. I tried to share my love for Him and His goodness to me to all who cared for me at the hospital. Just planting a few seeds...the Lord will do the rest.
Thanks for the links. I already watched the gorgeous video about Autumn and the mobile home makeover for fall. So inspiring. I'm saving the one from Italy/France for later.
Hi Debra: I'm glad you're getting the cyst taken care of. When it starts annoying you, it's time! :-)
ReplyDeleteI got rid of so. much. stuff. when we moved from Spokane and even more in the two moves since then. I love the fact that we've simplified so much, but where did all of this stuff in the condo come from if we got rid of so much? I'll never figure it out.
I went to a new doctor for an issue yesterday and now I'm on an antibiotic for a week. What I had feared is apparently not what the issue is, but I still have a bacterial infection somehow. It's always something isn't it?
I watched the beautiful autumn video and will watch the others tomorrow as it's 11:00 pm. and I need to get in bed.
Have a lovely day tomorrow and enjoy fall.
Blessings,
Betsy
I felt like I was transported to France when I watched French Vibes. I've never visited there, so it was lovely. Wasn't that little boy with the too-heavy-backpack adorable!
ReplyDeleteDebra, thank you for always including these wonderful links. It really does refresh me.
I also wanted to tell you that decluttering has become sort of a way of life for us now. When we moved, we were forced to go through things and make decisions. Now, I simply try to keep my eyes open. When I open cabinets or closets, I ask myself, "Have I used this lately? Do I need it? Should I give it away?" As always, Grace will show us what to do. You have been faithful to give away thousands of objects. Proud of you!