Today I'll start with a quote from Lennon, my eleven month old granddaughter, "Duh duh duh duh duh!" Yep, that's what she said. I'm not sure what she was trying to say when she told me that, but she was very emphatic when she said it. Actually she is in the first stages of learning the art of verbal communication...in other words, she's learning how to talk. It wasn't that long ago that her big brother was saying the same thing, and it was amazing how fast he turned those babbling syllables into words and became the chatterbox that he is today. The ability to talk is one of the things that sets us apart from the rest of the animal world, although it's an art that the vast majority of us find quite simple. I once saw a fiddle player showing off his skills at a country music show, and he would play holding his instrument over his head, behind his back, between his legs, and upside down, while the audience cheered and cheered at his phenomenal ability. But if you think that's cool, you should hear what I can do. I can TALK while running, walking, swimming, sitting, smiling, frowning, in the light, in the dark, and even sometimes while I'm sleeping! Are you impressed? You're not?!! I think I know why....you can do the same thing, just like everyone else you know.
I hate to say that "talk is cheap" after looking at my last cell phone bill, but I will say that talk is easy. Too easy. As a matter of fact, since we all have a tendency to spend most of our time doing what comes the easiest, talking is something that we do more than most anything else. But let me tell you something else that Lennon is starting to learn how to do now. She's learning to walk, just like all the rest of us learned to do. While we really can't say that walking is all that difficult either, it's not as easy as talking, so which of the two do we do more? Which one of the two is most likely to get us to where we need to be? Which of the two is most likely to get us into predicaments where we don't need to be? Now I'm not here to pin any flowers on myself, because I have the ability to be as vocal as anyone else, but as I feel certain that my fellow runners can confirm, one of the phrases we hear the most from people we pass on the street is, "You're doing what I need to be doing." Do you know what they're actually doing when they say that? Talking. That's all...just talking. Running, walking and exercising are just some of the examples of the areas where we talk too much and do too little. What about losing weight? Or kicking a bad habit? Or helping the needy? Or developing a closer walk with God? The list could go on and on. All those are areas where we've said we're going to do a better job. We've "said" we're going to do better, so now we've got the easy part behind us...."saying" we're going to do it. The next step requires a little more effort. It's what separates the men from the boys, the women from the girls, and the achievers from the wannabe's.
A few weeks ago, Mark Briggs, one of my facebook friends, reposted a statement that he had seen on Twitter that grabbed my attention, so I posted it on my page, which resulted in a few others also posting it on their pages as well. It simply said, "A year from now, you may wish you had started today." To how many areas of your life can you apply that statement? Before we actually do anything of significance, most of us will make the statement that we're going to do it, so let's concede that the verbal part of it is a necessary first step. But if saying it is as far as we go, we'd get just as much accomplished if we just said the same thing that Lennon said in the first sentence of this blog, "Duh duh duh duh duh."
Preston
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCLVIII
I'm sorry about telling that big lie. Now I realize that an apology with excuses is really not an apology at all, but please hear me out. Yes, it's true that I lied, but, I promise I didn't mean to do it. When I said what I did, I sincerely meant every word of it. Will it help if I remind you of all the other times you've heard the same statement I made come from other people? Were those other people speaking the truth? Maybe....maybe not. As a matter of fact, come to think of it, I've heard you make the same identical statement more than once. Were you being truthful? That's something that only you and God can answer.
That leads me to ask this question: Is it really lying if when I say it, it is actually meant as the truth, even though it didn't turn out that way? Let me ask the same question this way: If I make a false statement, but when I say it, I think it is true, am I still lying? I'm not totally sure how to answer that, but I can say that a false statement is a false statement...and when the truth is finally revealed, it looks bad on the person who has said something that was not the truth, regardless of his intent. Does it make any difference when we consider the fact that, like I was saying, I'm just one of many people, including you, who have made the same statement a number of times? Or does it matter that this "big lie" is primarily told by Christians? In fact, this may be the biggest lie that Christians tell. It goes without saying that something has to be done to get this situation under control and get this egregious error corrected. I promise to do my part.
When I make that promise, it doesn't mean I'm going to stop making the statement that I had made...I just have to make sure it's the truth when I do say it. I know by now you're beginning to get just a little curious about exactly what it was that I said (or that we said), and I'm going to tell you what it is, but I've said it so many times in so many different ways, that I'm not sure just how to quote it. Here's just one example: I was talking to someone who was going through a difficult time in his life and I said, "I'll keep you in my prayers." I've also said, "I'll be praying about that," or "I'll help you pray over that situation," etc. However I said it, way too many times, I walked away and never thought about it again. Now, do you remember when you've been guilty of the same offense? I had been thinking about this same subject a couple years ago when I received a text from a good friend who was asking me to pray for her nephew, so when I saw it, I pulled over and stopped my car right then, closed my eyes, and said a prayer for that situation. I did the same thing recently when I got word that that the daughter of a friend had just found out that she had cancer. When my kids have asked me to help them pray about circumstances in their lives, I don't think I've ever failed to do so. I'm just afraid that I can't say the same thing when I've made that promise to more casual acquaintances, but I'm doing my best to correct that.
I think what I need to do is, when I make that promise, fulfill it immediately. Otherwise I may forget. It's a situation I sincerely want to correct, and with God's help, I'll fix it. It's something I'm gonna be praying about.
Preston
That leads me to ask this question: Is it really lying if when I say it, it is actually meant as the truth, even though it didn't turn out that way? Let me ask the same question this way: If I make a false statement, but when I say it, I think it is true, am I still lying? I'm not totally sure how to answer that, but I can say that a false statement is a false statement...and when the truth is finally revealed, it looks bad on the person who has said something that was not the truth, regardless of his intent. Does it make any difference when we consider the fact that, like I was saying, I'm just one of many people, including you, who have made the same statement a number of times? Or does it matter that this "big lie" is primarily told by Christians? In fact, this may be the biggest lie that Christians tell. It goes without saying that something has to be done to get this situation under control and get this egregious error corrected. I promise to do my part.
When I make that promise, it doesn't mean I'm going to stop making the statement that I had made...I just have to make sure it's the truth when I do say it. I know by now you're beginning to get just a little curious about exactly what it was that I said (or that we said), and I'm going to tell you what it is, but I've said it so many times in so many different ways, that I'm not sure just how to quote it. Here's just one example: I was talking to someone who was going through a difficult time in his life and I said, "I'll keep you in my prayers." I've also said, "I'll be praying about that," or "I'll help you pray over that situation," etc. However I said it, way too many times, I walked away and never thought about it again. Now, do you remember when you've been guilty of the same offense? I had been thinking about this same subject a couple years ago when I received a text from a good friend who was asking me to pray for her nephew, so when I saw it, I pulled over and stopped my car right then, closed my eyes, and said a prayer for that situation. I did the same thing recently when I got word that that the daughter of a friend had just found out that she had cancer. When my kids have asked me to help them pray about circumstances in their lives, I don't think I've ever failed to do so. I'm just afraid that I can't say the same thing when I've made that promise to more casual acquaintances, but I'm doing my best to correct that.
I think what I need to do is, when I make that promise, fulfill it immediately. Otherwise I may forget. It's a situation I sincerely want to correct, and with God's help, I'll fix it. It's something I'm gonna be praying about.
Preston
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCLVII
A little two year old boy is dead today, and his parents were charged and convicted in his death, although their sentence was nothing more than probation and an admonishment from the judge to never let it happen again. The cause of death was pneumonia. The parents were charged because they refused to seek medical attention for the child, although pneumonia is now very treatable in most every hospital in the country. Their defense was that medicine is against their religion. They believed that if God did not heal their child, then apparently it was not His will that he be healed. We live in a country where we have freedom of religion, and are supposed to be free from any interference from the government as to what we believe and how we practice our beliefs, but there has to be a line drawn somewhere. I think the line is where an act or a failure to act may cause harm to another individual, in this case, a small child who is totally dependent on his parents for survival. If you listen to the news much at all, you are probably familiar with the story of the Muslim father in Texas who shot his daughter because she would not agree to an arranged marriage that they had planned for her. And as we speak, there is a Muslim father who is on trial for intentionally running over his daughter in a car because she was becoming too "westernized."
That leads me to ask this question: If you really believe something but you're not passionate about it, how strongly do you believe it in the first place? But doesn't it also stand to reason that if I have strong religious beliefs that I would want everyone else to join my movement and believe as I do? Now let me ask you this: How many of you, after reading about the little boy that died of pneumonia, had a desire to become a part of the church to which those parents belong? To be honest with you, when I heard that story, it had the opposite effect on me. I believe that God can and does heal people, but I also believe that when He created us, He gave us the brain power and "common sense" to figure out how to take care of ourselves and each other. That's how some individuals among us are able to become doctors. I'm happy to report that the church with which I'm affiliated believes in doctors and medicine. I believe this story proves that we can become too "radical," and when we do, our actions actually become counterproductive.
What is our ultimate goal anyway? Do we want to live our lives so that others might have a desire to live as we do, or do we just want to make sure everyone knows how we believe? And how will my actions today affect my ultimate goal? I'm not advocating giving up on any of our core beliefs, but I am saying that if we become too extreme, we can actually do damage to what our belief system instructs us to do. I can give you another example of what I'm talking about. I've seen political candidates, who don't have a snowball's chance of winning, jump into a race because he wants to make a point, and what he ends up doing is taking enough votes away from the other candidate who is closest to his point of view and who could've won, so that the person who did win the election was the one with which he disagreed the most. Therefore, the net result is worse than if he would've stayed out of the race completely. I've also seen senators and congressmen who say it's going to be 100% my way or not at all. The "not at all" usually wins in that situation.
I believe in being passionate about my beliefs, and if you're a non-believer, I would like to bring you into my camp, but I don't think I will have any success in doing that if I make my way seem repulsive to you. If I'm here just to prove a point, I may be ignoring the fact that most other people don't really care about my "point" to start with. Results are what I'm after.
Preston
That leads me to ask this question: If you really believe something but you're not passionate about it, how strongly do you believe it in the first place? But doesn't it also stand to reason that if I have strong religious beliefs that I would want everyone else to join my movement and believe as I do? Now let me ask you this: How many of you, after reading about the little boy that died of pneumonia, had a desire to become a part of the church to which those parents belong? To be honest with you, when I heard that story, it had the opposite effect on me. I believe that God can and does heal people, but I also believe that when He created us, He gave us the brain power and "common sense" to figure out how to take care of ourselves and each other. That's how some individuals among us are able to become doctors. I'm happy to report that the church with which I'm affiliated believes in doctors and medicine. I believe this story proves that we can become too "radical," and when we do, our actions actually become counterproductive.
What is our ultimate goal anyway? Do we want to live our lives so that others might have a desire to live as we do, or do we just want to make sure everyone knows how we believe? And how will my actions today affect my ultimate goal? I'm not advocating giving up on any of our core beliefs, but I am saying that if we become too extreme, we can actually do damage to what our belief system instructs us to do. I can give you another example of what I'm talking about. I've seen political candidates, who don't have a snowball's chance of winning, jump into a race because he wants to make a point, and what he ends up doing is taking enough votes away from the other candidate who is closest to his point of view and who could've won, so that the person who did win the election was the one with which he disagreed the most. Therefore, the net result is worse than if he would've stayed out of the race completely. I've also seen senators and congressmen who say it's going to be 100% my way or not at all. The "not at all" usually wins in that situation.
I believe in being passionate about my beliefs, and if you're a non-believer, I would like to bring you into my camp, but I don't think I will have any success in doing that if I make my way seem repulsive to you. If I'm here just to prove a point, I may be ignoring the fact that most other people don't really care about my "point" to start with. Results are what I'm after.
Preston
Friday, February 4, 2011
Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCLVI
I remember the phone call that changed my life. It was not something that I was expecting, so when I woke up that morning, I had no idea what was about to happen. I can even remember what I was doing when it came...I was fixing lunch, so when I heard the phone, I grabbed the one in the kitchen. After the conversation, I went ahead and ate my food, but my mind was in such a whirl at that time that the meal I was eating was the last thing on my mind. I thought the news was bad at the time, but it turned out to be one of the best things that's ever happened to me as far as my career is concerned.
Do you remember where you were on 9-11? I do too. I remember where I was when I heard the news that President Kennedy had been assassinated, although I was a small child at the time. I remember where I was when I heard about the explosion of the Space Shuttle. I remember where I was in our car as we heard on the radio the broadcast of the first game ever for the New Orleans Saints, and John Gilliam took the opening kickoff and ran it all the way back for a touchdown. I can even remember exactly where I was sitting just a few months ago when I learned that my little infant granddaughter had been born with Down Syndrome. We all have stories of how we can recall where we were when we heard some kind of big news, whether it was good or bad, and it seems to me that the events that we remember the most were unexpected. Within just the last few weeks, there have been two serious automobile accidents at the intersection in front of my home. I feel certain that from now on, all the drivers and passengers who were involved will recall their incident every time they pass my house.
Some of the big events of our lives are things we plan and even direct, but just as many are occurrences that we never see coming and they hit us like a ton of bricks. As you read this, you are probably recalling a few of the big unforeseen events in your own life. I remember one night as I was going to bed in a hotel room in Atlanta, I said aloud to myself: "When I woke up this morning, I sure didn't know I'd be spending the night in Atlanta, Georgia." It wouldn't make sense for me to advise you to be prepared for those types of events. How can you prepare for something that you have no idea of who, what, where, when, why and how? What you can do is look back at all of the unexpected events of your past and know that there will be more...some good, some not so good.
There is one bit of wisdom that I have gleaned over my lifetime that I can share with you now in regards to unexpected events: "I play the cards I was dealt." There's really no other choice. At my age, I surely would not want to have the feeling that I have to start my life all over again, but starting over is certainly better than giving up. I would just have to put my big boy pants on, adjust my attitude back to where it needs to be, and get moving. I'm somebody...I'm not a quitter, and I'm gonna end up a winner! I really mean that, regardless of what happens.
Preston
Do you remember where you were on 9-11? I do too. I remember where I was when I heard the news that President Kennedy had been assassinated, although I was a small child at the time. I remember where I was when I heard about the explosion of the Space Shuttle. I remember where I was in our car as we heard on the radio the broadcast of the first game ever for the New Orleans Saints, and John Gilliam took the opening kickoff and ran it all the way back for a touchdown. I can even remember exactly where I was sitting just a few months ago when I learned that my little infant granddaughter had been born with Down Syndrome. We all have stories of how we can recall where we were when we heard some kind of big news, whether it was good or bad, and it seems to me that the events that we remember the most were unexpected. Within just the last few weeks, there have been two serious automobile accidents at the intersection in front of my home. I feel certain that from now on, all the drivers and passengers who were involved will recall their incident every time they pass my house.
Some of the big events of our lives are things we plan and even direct, but just as many are occurrences that we never see coming and they hit us like a ton of bricks. As you read this, you are probably recalling a few of the big unforeseen events in your own life. I remember one night as I was going to bed in a hotel room in Atlanta, I said aloud to myself: "When I woke up this morning, I sure didn't know I'd be spending the night in Atlanta, Georgia." It wouldn't make sense for me to advise you to be prepared for those types of events. How can you prepare for something that you have no idea of who, what, where, when, why and how? What you can do is look back at all of the unexpected events of your past and know that there will be more...some good, some not so good.
There is one bit of wisdom that I have gleaned over my lifetime that I can share with you now in regards to unexpected events: "I play the cards I was dealt." There's really no other choice. At my age, I surely would not want to have the feeling that I have to start my life all over again, but starting over is certainly better than giving up. I would just have to put my big boy pants on, adjust my attitude back to where it needs to be, and get moving. I'm somebody...I'm not a quitter, and I'm gonna end up a winner! I really mean that, regardless of what happens.
Preston
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCLV
From time to time someone will say some mean, hurtful things to me, and I almost always just stand there and take it without saying a word in my own defense. I'm not sure what their intentions are and why they feel that they have to low rate me to my face. Are they just not thinking or do they really want to make me feel bad? It's not that it happens all that often, except for this one guy in particular, who has now pushed me to the point to where I've finally decided that I'm not gonna take it any more. It's time to shut him up and put an end to this nonsense.
In a couple of previous blogs, I have talked about the difference between over-reactors and under-reactors, and like I said, I place myself firmly in the camp of the under-reactors. When I tell you some of the things he has said to me, some of you who fall into the other category...the over-reactors...may want to rush to my defense and bring this guy down a button hole or two. I'm asking you not to do that. I feel that this is a situation I can handle on my own, but if I decide that's it's too much for me to deal with, you'll be the first to know. One of the reasons I'm even mentioning it to you in the first place is that by writing this, I'm taking the first step in taking control of the situation; and the second reason is in case you ever have to deal with the same type of circumstance, you may be able to use my experience as a learning exercise.
Before I go any further, I must admit that this same guy has said a lot of nice things to me as well. But isn't it strange how someone can say kind words to us everyday, yet if they say one word that's hurtful, that's what we are most likely to remember? However, this one individual has said so many mean things to me, there is no way that I can recall even half of them, not to mention the complimentary things he's said. Let me give you a small sample of just a few of the adjectives he's used to describe me: lazy, fat, ugly, stupid, clueless, etc. He told me I was a terrible singer. He told me I was such an awful runner that I should give it up. Once he said that if I had any talent, I've sure kept it hidden from him, because he's never seen it. One time he even called me a fake. But what can I say to someone who says all these spiteful words to me, yet when I look at him, he's better in every one of those categories than what he said I was? Well, that leads me to my next question....what kind of person would say such mean things to someone in the first place? I'd love to tell you that I would never say anything like that, but I'd be lying. Because, you see, the person who said all those nasty things to me was....me. I said them to myself.
Those were words I would never say to someone else, yet I said them to myself. I respect each of you enough that I don't want to ever hurt you, but what about my own self respect? Yes, I'm aware that sometime we have to have a little reality check, but there's a difference in looking for ways to improve and being downright rude. The names I called myself are names I wouldn't call my worst enemy, and I love me, so if I don't want to be the type of person who is abusive to the one I love the most, then I have to start treating myself more kindly and with more respect; because if I continue to call myself bad names, I'll eventually become what I tell myself I am.
Now do you see why I didn't want you to be too quick to jump on the person who was being so rude to me?
Preston
In a couple of previous blogs, I have talked about the difference between over-reactors and under-reactors, and like I said, I place myself firmly in the camp of the under-reactors. When I tell you some of the things he has said to me, some of you who fall into the other category...the over-reactors...may want to rush to my defense and bring this guy down a button hole or two. I'm asking you not to do that. I feel that this is a situation I can handle on my own, but if I decide that's it's too much for me to deal with, you'll be the first to know. One of the reasons I'm even mentioning it to you in the first place is that by writing this, I'm taking the first step in taking control of the situation; and the second reason is in case you ever have to deal with the same type of circumstance, you may be able to use my experience as a learning exercise.
Before I go any further, I must admit that this same guy has said a lot of nice things to me as well. But isn't it strange how someone can say kind words to us everyday, yet if they say one word that's hurtful, that's what we are most likely to remember? However, this one individual has said so many mean things to me, there is no way that I can recall even half of them, not to mention the complimentary things he's said. Let me give you a small sample of just a few of the adjectives he's used to describe me: lazy, fat, ugly, stupid, clueless, etc. He told me I was a terrible singer. He told me I was such an awful runner that I should give it up. Once he said that if I had any talent, I've sure kept it hidden from him, because he's never seen it. One time he even called me a fake. But what can I say to someone who says all these spiteful words to me, yet when I look at him, he's better in every one of those categories than what he said I was? Well, that leads me to my next question....what kind of person would say such mean things to someone in the first place? I'd love to tell you that I would never say anything like that, but I'd be lying. Because, you see, the person who said all those nasty things to me was....me. I said them to myself.
Those were words I would never say to someone else, yet I said them to myself. I respect each of you enough that I don't want to ever hurt you, but what about my own self respect? Yes, I'm aware that sometime we have to have a little reality check, but there's a difference in looking for ways to improve and being downright rude. The names I called myself are names I wouldn't call my worst enemy, and I love me, so if I don't want to be the type of person who is abusive to the one I love the most, then I have to start treating myself more kindly and with more respect; because if I continue to call myself bad names, I'll eventually become what I tell myself I am.
Now do you see why I didn't want you to be too quick to jump on the person who was being so rude to me?
Preston
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCLIV
If a person's wealth was measured by the number of good friends he has, I think I'd have to be on the list of the richest men in America. And the good thing about friends, you can share them with others and yet your total net worth doesn't decrease at all. You can "share your wealth," and you're still just as wealthy as you were before. Today I'm going to put that theory into practice. I want to share one of my good friends with you...that way, she can be your friend, too. Let me tell you just a little bit about her. She's the type of person that when you look at her, you think, "Now here's a person who has it all together." She's a gorgeous twenty-nine year old with a great husband, two beautiful kids (one boy and one girl), a promising career, and an athletic ability that is hard to match. (Two weeks ago when we ran the Mobile Marathon, she finished the 26.2 mile run in just over 4 hours and 4 minutes.) But the main reason I want to introduce her to you today is because of one other asset that she possesses: She is what we often refer to as "a strong woman." She doesn't let a "slap in the face" get her down, and when she tripped and fell, both literally and figuratively, she found a way to get back up again.
Rather than you hearing it from me, it will be best if you can hear from her in her own words, so let me introduce her to you, and I'll step aside and let her tell you her story. Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce to you, my good friend, Amber Zambie.
Preston
If I could send a note to myself three years ago, it would say:
Dear Amber- Please slow down and enjoy your life more. Be kinder to yourself; it's your running on fumes and controlling personality that got you here. Seek friends and hobbies...and God. Healing will come when you are gentle to yourself and when you give it all over to Him. Love, You.
My 25th year was hard. It wasn't any harder than anyone else's life and certainly not the worst. But in my eyes at the time, it was rough. I remember being extremely mad at my parents for not preparing me for this part of my life. I was having chronic headaches, low, I mean, NO energy to play with my kids or do anything else...and miserable from all of the above. As a Type- A personality, this was horrible for my schedule. There wasn't time for it. By the end of summer, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer and died five days later. This was another thing I wasn't prepared for in life and it hit me hard. I really think this was the final straw.
Two weeks after my 26th birthday, I woke up with a silly foot. A foot that made me fall a lot and refused to wear heels! I waited to see my orthopedist because I seriously thought it was another one of my crazy issues that would pass on its own. He said it was real and referred me to a neurologist. Within three months, I was weak all over and couldn't walk on my own. I didn't use a walker or a cane because I didn't know what was wrong and wasn't resorting to aid yet. There were walls for that or husband or parents...not walkers. The final diagnosis came after a slew of tests and a trip to UAB (Univeristy of Alabama at Birmingham). Multiple Sclerosis: a demyelating disease that attacks your central nervous system. (Explains why my parents didn't tell me I would be miserable--they didn't know.)
As I'm writing this, it has been exactly three years since the funky foot. I no longer have any symptoms of my MS. I run marathons, adventure race with my husband and play harder than ever with my babies. I am so grateful for God's grace. I know I was far away from Him during this time in my life, yet He was right there beside me during it all. I don't understand why we have to go through these things but He got my attention. I would never ask for Him to take this experience away. My life and my family are different because of what we all experienced during this time. I do have to remind myself daily to slow down. It's my nature to fill the schedule. God made me that way too. I have learned to love myself. To appreciate the small things I am able to do and to do my best at them. Some of the things that seemed so important then, things that literally made me sick, are so small now. We only get one life on earth; I hope I learn as much as He wants me to know.
Amber
Rather than you hearing it from me, it will be best if you can hear from her in her own words, so let me introduce her to you, and I'll step aside and let her tell you her story. Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce to you, my good friend, Amber Zambie.
Preston
If I could send a note to myself three years ago, it would say:
Dear Amber- Please slow down and enjoy your life more. Be kinder to yourself; it's your running on fumes and controlling personality that got you here. Seek friends and hobbies...and God. Healing will come when you are gentle to yourself and when you give it all over to Him. Love, You.
My 25th year was hard. It wasn't any harder than anyone else's life and certainly not the worst. But in my eyes at the time, it was rough. I remember being extremely mad at my parents for not preparing me for this part of my life. I was having chronic headaches, low, I mean, NO energy to play with my kids or do anything else...and miserable from all of the above. As a Type- A personality, this was horrible for my schedule. There wasn't time for it. By the end of summer, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer and died five days later. This was another thing I wasn't prepared for in life and it hit me hard. I really think this was the final straw.
Two weeks after my 26th birthday, I woke up with a silly foot. A foot that made me fall a lot and refused to wear heels! I waited to see my orthopedist because I seriously thought it was another one of my crazy issues that would pass on its own. He said it was real and referred me to a neurologist. Within three months, I was weak all over and couldn't walk on my own. I didn't use a walker or a cane because I didn't know what was wrong and wasn't resorting to aid yet. There were walls for that or husband or parents...not walkers. The final diagnosis came after a slew of tests and a trip to UAB (Univeristy of Alabama at Birmingham). Multiple Sclerosis: a demyelating disease that attacks your central nervous system. (Explains why my parents didn't tell me I would be miserable--they didn't know.)
As I'm writing this, it has been exactly three years since the funky foot. I no longer have any symptoms of my MS. I run marathons, adventure race with my husband and play harder than ever with my babies. I am so grateful for God's grace. I know I was far away from Him during this time in my life, yet He was right there beside me during it all. I don't understand why we have to go through these things but He got my attention. I would never ask for Him to take this experience away. My life and my family are different because of what we all experienced during this time. I do have to remind myself daily to slow down. It's my nature to fill the schedule. God made me that way too. I have learned to love myself. To appreciate the small things I am able to do and to do my best at them. Some of the things that seemed so important then, things that literally made me sick, are so small now. We only get one life on earth; I hope I learn as much as He wants me to know.
Amber
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCLIII
Today I'm calling names. I want you to know who these people are. But first let me go back and give you a little background that began to channel my mind in this direction. It was a thought that popped into my brain for just an instant before I flushed it, due to its absurdity. If I think about something that immediately sets off alarms that it is too unbelievable to be true, I try to push it out of my mind and get myself back on track with reality, just as I did in this case. But then it came back. So I pushed it out again, but I soon realized that it wasn't going to leave that easily. Like I've told you before, I want to know the truth, whatever it is, so I decided to give this thought some time and attention and see if maybe there was something to it, regardless of how absurd it may seem. When I log in to the internet with our laptop at home, it automatically goes to Yahoo news, and practically everyday, there is something about some famous movie star, singer, or athlete who is now in a new relationship for the 39th time, or who has just split off with some other celebrity, ending a relationship that has been in existence for more than two years. (Apparently two years is almost an eternity to some of these people.) Here is the "absurd" thought that popped into my mind when I saw this: "Obviously, some people must care about that kind of news." As strange as it may seem, after giving it some careful study, I concluded that since these news organizations want to print stories that people want to read, that thought I had must have some merit. Why? That's beyond me. But then the thought crossed my mind that God cares what goes on in their lives, but He doesn't care any more about them than He does Bill and Emma Williams of Peoria, if there is a couple there by that name.
The fact is, Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt have had no impact on my life whatsoever, so why should I devote so much of my attention to their lives when there are so many people who HAVE had a major impact on who I am and what I have become. That now takes my mind back to where it should be, and it brings a smile to my face as I begin to picture the faces of those who are my real heroes. For example, there's Docia Duke, my first grade teacher...the one person who taught me how to read and write. I'm sure Mrs. Duke has been dead for many years now, but her influence is still very much alive in me. All of my school teachers played important roles in my life, but there are some names that seem to stand out more than others. Mabel Hanes, my fifth grade teacher is one of those people that I'll never forget as long as I live, and though it's impossible for me to let her know now, I hope that when she was my teacher, she may have had some foreknowledge of how much I would look back and appreciate her in the future.
The most outstanding influences in my life are not confined simply to school, however. I would be remiss if I left out my teachers and leaders from my church. The first name that comes to my mind is Penta Collins. We knew her as Sister Penny. A big part of who I am is due to the influence she had on me in my formative years. Two other teachers that I have to mention are Edith Bailey and Earl Francis. What would I have become without them? And there's no way that I can depart without mentioning the name, LC Coon, our youth leader during much of my childhood and early teen years. There's one incident involving him that I have to tell you about...something that no one else could possibly remember, but something that I've thought about many times since then. I was very young, barely old enough to be considered part of the youth group, and he was conducting a bible quiz competition at church. When it was my turn, I nervously stood up and faced the crowd, realizing that every eye in the building was on me. The question started out by giving a general overview of the Book of Ecclesiastes, and then came the question: "Spell Ecclesiastes." My heart sank. I tried to picture the word in my mind, and spell it out one letter at a time according to how it sounded. The smile on LC's face when he told me I had answered correctly and the immediate round of applause from the audience gave me a feeling that will stay with me the rest of my life.
It goes without saying what kind of impact that my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles had on me, basically giving me the training to make it in life on my own as an adult. Also, I'm not saying that I don't appreciate the talent that I see portrayed from some of the celebrities that I have mentioned. Right now, my favorite quarterback is Drew Brees, but there are a lot of names, like the ones that I just mentioned, who have had much more of an influence on me than he has. It's an old worn out cliché, but please allow me to say one more time, "I want to give credit where credit is due." The heroes that I just mentioned above are people that some of you know, and many of you do not. It does me good to go back and remember them from time to time, and place them in their proper places of prominence in my mind. They're the people who really matter. Have you gone back and made a list of the real heroes who have had the most positive impact on who you are? It'll do you good.
Preston
The fact is, Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt have had no impact on my life whatsoever, so why should I devote so much of my attention to their lives when there are so many people who HAVE had a major impact on who I am and what I have become. That now takes my mind back to where it should be, and it brings a smile to my face as I begin to picture the faces of those who are my real heroes. For example, there's Docia Duke, my first grade teacher...the one person who taught me how to read and write. I'm sure Mrs. Duke has been dead for many years now, but her influence is still very much alive in me. All of my school teachers played important roles in my life, but there are some names that seem to stand out more than others. Mabel Hanes, my fifth grade teacher is one of those people that I'll never forget as long as I live, and though it's impossible for me to let her know now, I hope that when she was my teacher, she may have had some foreknowledge of how much I would look back and appreciate her in the future.
The most outstanding influences in my life are not confined simply to school, however. I would be remiss if I left out my teachers and leaders from my church. The first name that comes to my mind is Penta Collins. We knew her as Sister Penny. A big part of who I am is due to the influence she had on me in my formative years. Two other teachers that I have to mention are Edith Bailey and Earl Francis. What would I have become without them? And there's no way that I can depart without mentioning the name, LC Coon, our youth leader during much of my childhood and early teen years. There's one incident involving him that I have to tell you about...something that no one else could possibly remember, but something that I've thought about many times since then. I was very young, barely old enough to be considered part of the youth group, and he was conducting a bible quiz competition at church. When it was my turn, I nervously stood up and faced the crowd, realizing that every eye in the building was on me. The question started out by giving a general overview of the Book of Ecclesiastes, and then came the question: "Spell Ecclesiastes." My heart sank. I tried to picture the word in my mind, and spell it out one letter at a time according to how it sounded. The smile on LC's face when he told me I had answered correctly and the immediate round of applause from the audience gave me a feeling that will stay with me the rest of my life.
It goes without saying what kind of impact that my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles had on me, basically giving me the training to make it in life on my own as an adult. Also, I'm not saying that I don't appreciate the talent that I see portrayed from some of the celebrities that I have mentioned. Right now, my favorite quarterback is Drew Brees, but there are a lot of names, like the ones that I just mentioned, who have had much more of an influence on me than he has. It's an old worn out cliché, but please allow me to say one more time, "I want to give credit where credit is due." The heroes that I just mentioned above are people that some of you know, and many of you do not. It does me good to go back and remember them from time to time, and place them in their proper places of prominence in my mind. They're the people who really matter. Have you gone back and made a list of the real heroes who have had the most positive impact on who you are? It'll do you good.
Preston
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
