What my body tells me...

Thursday I had a bad headache.  Friday my sinuses began to hurt, headache continued.  Saturday sinuses were extremely painful, headache continued, throat and ears begin to hurt.  Sunday, sinuses feel better, head feels better, can't speak, throat and ears still hurt.  Monday (today), still can't speak.

So what is my body saying to me?  Maybe it is saying I talk too much.  Maybe it is saying that I am forgetting to take care of myself.  Maybe it is telling me that I really need to go see my Nephrologist since I was supposed to follow up last month.  Regardless of what it is saying, I have got to learn how to listen long before it gets to this point.  The problem is how...

Unless you are a teacher, you cannot understand the frustration and exhaustion it creates when you have a room of 40 students and no way to talk to them.  I still have a full week of responsibilities including

• two assignments for my master classes due,
• Elyse and all that includes when it comes to raising an obedient and God-fearing child,
• Rick who has been feeling a little neglected lately,
• Church with VBS coming up as well as singing and help with the children's area on Sunday,
• our dog we have had for two weeks but is still dealing with separation and socialization issues,
• life group tonight,
• tutoring,
• a house that is a total mess (at least by my standards),
• etc.

I really think that my body is saying, where are you in all of this?  When are you taking time to let your body, mind, and soul relax, recoup, and regenerate?  You won't listen otherwise, how else am I supposed to get your attention?

Of course the one thing that could really help me is the one thing I left out of my list and can easily leave out of my life, is my time with God. 

So I think the serenity prayer works for this: 

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr