In case you don’t regularly follow A Farm Wife page, a little over a week ago I bent over and BAM! My back went out. Not just out but big time, tsunami muscle spasm out. On a Saturday.
Also, in case you didn’t know, A Farm Wife doesn’t do nothing well.
Yet, here I was, doing nothing and not well.
I was actually doing two things. Laying on ice and trying to get up to move in order to prevent total lock up in my back.
There were lessons learned.
1. It really sucks! It is extremely difficult to ask for help. Especially when you are with people who are busy with their own lives. I hate to be “the one” that causes others to change plans or do things other than planned.
2. It’s hard to watch someone “attempt” to do what you asked. You know how you have your own way of doing things? Or, it doesn’t get done in time?
3. I really took freedom of movement for granted. It would take five minutes just to get up off the couch. I had to somehow roll over onto the floor, find something to pull myself up on and then centimeter by centimeter stand upright. No bending over, no twisting, no coughing. I learned a whole new level of shallow breathing. Taking a normal breath would bring on spasms.
4. I have watched and dozed through more Hallmark Christmas movies than I can count. I can now write a dashing movie script just for them.
5. Bills were unpaid and when I finally could muster enough sit up time to pay them I would include a note – Due to a bad back . . . I also made some new friends in the billing department of some of our vendors.
6. You can live with dust on the shelves and crumbs on the floor. If something would fall on the floor it stayed there until there were enough items to make it worth the while of squatting down to pick it up.
7. I discovered how disgustingly dirty the side of my dishwasher was. You know the side that meets up to the edge of the cupboards? I knelt by the dishwasher and unloaded the dishes on to the counter top and then would stand up and take care of the dishes off the counter top. But while down on my knees - Oyy the yucky outside edge. Go take a look at yours. Please tell me I’m not the only one who failed at dishwasher washing 101? I run a cycle through once in a while to wash the inside and clean out the filter thingy but never washed off the outside edge.
8. It’s amazing all the different things you can learn to do without bending over. I also never realized how out of shape I was. From a week plus of squatting my thighs ache like I’ve chased cows for days. I guess I’m not much of a squatter in normal life.
9. There are a lot of good people in the world. Many called and asked if they could help me – and really meant it.
10. God has created an amazing miracle when he created our bodies. A few trips to a chiropractor, some down time and a lot of prayer has me about 90% healed and I know the rest is on the way. To go from such “take your breath away” pain to feeling somewhat normal in about 9 days is something to be grateful for. Now, I just have to learn to be wise and pace myself.
If you have anyone in your life that needs a little help, please be that one that cheerfully offers.
Those who willingly came to my rescue had a huge part in my healing. When someone is there to help it lessens the burden of being laid up which hastens the healing time – in my opinion.
A phone call, offer to pick up groceries, come in to help make a meal, take a minute to visit, pray for them. All these little things that seem easy to us who are upright and healthy are huge blessings for those who can’t.
One don’t - If someone asks you for help, if you can’t do so cheerfully or willingly say you are unavailable. And if you are that busy that you can’t help, then you need to examine your life and heart.
Don’t be the one who answers, “If you really think you need it” or “I suppose I can” or “I’ll get to it eventually”. Asking for help is humbling and hard. Getting responses like those that make you feel like the person has to climb a mountain while carrying 500 pounds on their back does nothing to help the person you are so “graciously” helping.
For those who are in a chronic health situation I prayed for you even though I don’t know you. I prayed a lot while down. Prayed for my family, my country and I prayed for those who would never get up or for those with a much longer path to travel.
God never ever causes sickness or injury. But, he certainly uses each and everything that comes into our lives. I pray I learned the lessons I needed.
I feel like I’m a fairly kind person who likes to help others, but I will be having my “caring” eyes on and on the lookout to help others.
Take a minute and shoot a text, make a phone call, bake a batch of cookies and take time to show some love to someone that needs some help today.
It will boost the immune system.
Theirs and yours.
