“Know therefore that the Lord our God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.” (Deuteronomy 7:9)
When you live with chronic pain you never know the type of day you will have. Oh, I can plan, but there are things of which I have no control, that can increase my pain level.
Weather, good and bad, can increase pain. A simple movement, like emptying the dishwasher or brushing my teeth can send the pain through the roof.
And of course, my attitude can affect my pain. If I am more positive it doesn’t really lower the pain, it just better equips me to handle the pain.
Today I had one of those higher than normal pain days. I thought it would be a good day, however, when I tried to get out of bed I quickly realized it was going to be a high pain day. I took my pain medications and did a few other things to lower my pain. Yet, today, I just couldn’t get the pain to lower. . . at all. In fact, as the day progressed, the pain seemed to increase. The clock moved very slowly as I waited for the time for my next pain pill.
At one point, as I was ready to have a “poor me” moment, my pet bird, Max, flew to my shoulder and started talking. He had a lot to say. When he was done talking, he simply fell asleep on my shoulder.
When I moved I thought he’d fly to one of his many perches and go back to sleep. But, no he was content to stay on my shoulder as I got up and walked around the apartment. He just wanted to be with me. In fact, he stayed with me pretty much all day.
At one point, he was in his cage eating, and I got up and went into the kitchen. Immediately, I heard “Achoo, achoo, achoo,” which is what Max says when he wants me. I yelled back, “I’m in the kitchen.” Max flew into the kitchen, landed on my shoulder, and promptly started yelling at me for leaving him!
As I look back over today, my pain was high for what seemed like no reason. Yet, the day was not a bad day. Having Max so close to me all day was like God giving me a hug. And any day you get a hug from God is a good day!
The days which you seem to have no control can still be positive if you remember that God loves you. His love is unconditional. The fact that God, the Creator of all, loves you should not only encourage you, but make you feel amazing!
Prayer: Lord, help me remember Your amazing love that never ceases. Just trying to understand the amount of love You have for me should help me make any day a positive one.
About the Author:
Rhonda Sawtelle lives with chronic headaches and pain due to failed back surgery syndrome. Her philosophy is “Create a positive day!” She enjoys watching football, digital scrapbooking, and reading. To read more about how Rhonda creates a positive day, even while living with pain, visit her blog: http://createapositiveday.blogspot.com.
Chronic Illness Pain Daily Devotionals 