My Cup Runneth Over

Lately I've been very caught up in how horrible I feel physically and how mentally and emotionally draining it is. I hurt on the outside which makes me hurt on the inside (or possibly vice versa) and that seems to be all I can focus on. However, a number of things happened yesterday that allowed me to take a step back from my drama and notice the good things in my life.

My cousin is overseas lending a hand in the war on terror. As far as being involved in a war goes, he has it pretty good. His living situation is comfortable (no sleeping in the sand), he is getting paid well and he's climbing the military ladder for the benefit of his wife and their future children. There is a rather large drawback to this new position, though, and that is that his wife of three and a half years could not move there with him. She can visit, but only for a limited amount of time. Yesterday his wife made a comment on facebook saying she would be able to see her husband in exactly two months. Two months! That's a very long time to be away from the one you love the most. I know they are handling it very well--they are an experienced military couple--but I was sad for her. Sad that she has to wait another two months just to get a hug from her husband. It made me realize how lucky I am. I get to see the man I love everyday and tell him so--in person. I will no longer take that for granted.

There is what I guess is a reality show called "Too Fat For 15." Somehow I managed to catch bits and pieces of two episodes yesterday. Boy, did it humble me. My heart went out to the children and their struggle, not only with their weight but with the shame, humiliation and guilt they have. At 31, I'm 10 pounds heavier than I was when I was 15 and many days that really bothers me. However, I will never again label myself as fat when my jeans are a little too tight because to do so would be an insult to these children who are literally close to death due to their obesity. Despite what I'm going through with my headaches, I'm pretty far away from them actually killing me. I am thankful for what good health I do have.

Although I was raised in the church and continued to attend all through college, I have not been to a church service where I really felt comfortable in a long time, the exception being when I have gone to church back home. All the health “stuff” I’ve been dealing with lately has really made me question my faith. I’ve been looking for something to…lean on, I guess. Several weeks ago, as I was driving to the pharmacy, I passed a Methodist church called “The Gathering.” I noticed they offered 6 pm services and was immediately interested. After checking out the website, I decided to give the church a try. I went by myself the following Sunday and was hooked. I found myself looking forward the next service, then the next. I’ve gone every Sunday since.

They say that for every negative thought, twenty positive thoughts are needed to offset it. I think that holds true for everything; it’s easy to let life get the best of us. Counting your blessings is always a good idea. You will probably find that your list is much longer than you ever thought. I know I did.