Refining lemons into precious stones

While listening to U2's Ordinary Love on the first Jimmy Fallon show, I was inspired for this post.
A line in the song says "The sea throws rock together but time leaves us polished stones" I started to think about my favorite place on the earth, the river. A far cry from the sea but what happens to rocks, that overtime have rubbed each other and been tossed around, is the same as what the sea can do. A very rough rock can become smooth, round and polished.

We are like rough rocks, that after many years of dealing with impossible, uncaring, unholy, selfish, greedy, unloving and just plain unkind people have been rubbed wrong enough times that we are finally, through God's love, being refined into the precious stones he wants us to be.

    

 

 

Have you ever had an encounter with someone that left you more confused or agitated than you were before? Or how about, after dealing with someone, you felt like you needed a nap or a hot bath just to calm your nerves. Now think about how people feel about us after interacting with us. Do you feel like you rub people the right way or like sand paper? Do people feel better about themselves after

spending even a few minutes in your presence?

 

 

I truly hope I can say or do just some small thing to make every person (at least most of them) feel good about coming in contact with me. Abrasive is not a word I ever want used to describe me.

Even though, all those sand paper people have polished us into what we are today, I am certain we would get to the point of thinking "ok! Enough with the polishing"

 

 

The point is, you never know how your words can impact someone. It could be positive or it could be negative. When you see that lady everyday at work, whom you have never been introduced to, and see she has a new hairdo that is very flattering, TELL HER! Even a small compliment can brighten her day and she will pass that smile on to someone else. Smiles bring Smiles.

 

 

Let it be your goal to be a smooth encounter and not a rough one. We have enough of those already!

 

Until next time- Safe Picking!

 

Tammy

Lemonitis Disease.......Back by popular demand

                                    

Well I am back  after a short medical hiatus. I have spent the last 7 months in Dr offices and being tested at hospitals. Evidently, if you lose your hearing, it results in having your gallbladder removed. Go figure.

I used to always tell my son that some people learn their lesson by stepping in a mud puddle one time. Others have to be drug face first through it before learning that it means trouble. He was always one who wouldn't learn the first time. I have figured out that when it comes to being healthy, I'm one of those "face first" people as well.

I  don't like healthy foods and dislike exercising even more. I drink sports drinks and occasionally wear tennis shoes. That's all the athletic ability I have. After years of abusing my body and not taking care of it, it sat down like a stubborn mule in the road and said "I quit!"

                                              


Last August I started with a cough and what seemed like bronchitis. I would lose my voice multiple times a day. Then I lost my hearing in the only good ear I have. It went from a bad head infection, to pneumonia, then a brain tumor, spots on my lungs, medicine in the rare chance it was shingles, allergy testing, asthma test, Barium swallow, heart monitor, a device implanted in my esophagus, CT scans, gallbladder scans, catheters ran down my nose into my voice box, then a second time into my stomach.  I have been poked and prodded like cattle at an auction. I wish I were being funny or exaggerating about all those thing.

                                              

It has finally been narrowed down to 3 things. The first procedure was removing my gallbladder, which by the way, stomach pain has not been any of my issues. Still trying to figure that out.

But as always, what does this have to do with lemons? The last 7 months I have had a great support system that has been there with me the whole way. They have watched how I can be fine one minute then the next I am gasping for air and can not speak.  After many, many hours researching all the things, I have learned that about 70% of this I brought on myself. Or rather, picked part of this lemon instead of it just being handed to me.

                                       
All these years of truly not taking care of myself have caught up with me. So many health issues are brought on by not eating healthy, exercising or drinking enough water. And, the part that was out of my control, I did not do very well at doing my part to manage it.

I would beg my husband to take me to eat Mexican, then within 30 minutes after, be curled in a ball crying and could not speak. But, I was too stubborn to admit that I might be causing some of the problem. It was easier to just be a "lemon victim" than just change my ways.

This finally occurring to me is what inspired me to write again. I need to write to keep myself in line. And if, in the mean time, I can help someone else, then that's fantastic!

I have a long way to go and I'm only about 8 days Mexican free, but I have to start somewhere. Hopefully, before long I can have some things in moderation. But I have to learn to respect this one body that God gave me and treat it like the gift it is.

I hope to be back writing on a regular basis, and again appreciate your sharing them when you can.

Until next time- Safe Picking!

Tammy