Friends are like pain pills

Sundays are my favorite.  It's the only day I don't feel guilty for resting.  It's one commandment that I take seriously...  And on the 7th day God rested.....  It gives me time to ponder and reevaluate my previous week.  I can plan my upcoming days with clarity and put things back into perspective.  

Today was rough for me.  I have inflamation and arthritis horribly...  Not sure if it's from Lyme arthritis mixed with the cold weather or from accidentally eating gluten yesterday and my body is inflamed from it.  Either way it hurts. 

My ribs, hips, elbows, wrists, ankles, spine, hip joints, neck, knees, oh, I could go on....  It all hurts so bad.  I have been on the edge of crying all day.  But instead of lying in bed I forced myself up.  Put my hair up in a ponytail and went off to church.  ( I hate when I don't do my hair for church.  I like to look nice and put together so it just bugs me to wear it up like that.)

I have this coping breathing thing I do which is pretty much a concentrated sturdy breath that helps me from crying or moaning out loud.  I constantly stretch my joints out looking for relief from the stiffness but it just seems to make it more sore.  I listen to my nature soundscapes and try not to focus on the pain.

I am trying to plan an adventure to get me out of my recently created comfort zone.  I know whatever it is will be putting me down and out for a while but I will just plan for it.  Line up sitters and premake the meals.  Pick an open time on my schedule...  Haha...  And just go for it.

I love a lot of things but don't know where to start.  Hiking, swimming, biking, Zumba, or maybe a game of volleyball, softball or something of the sort.  Just to show Lyme who's boss.  I know it will show me later, (ha,) but I am so tired of not doing the things I love.  Even the simple things.  Right now I'm working on my sons room...  One more color and it's done.  Just trying to find a day to do it with a recovery day after.

I had a thought today that I shared with my hubby, on how my friends are like pain pills.  They help alleviate the pain, distract from the moment and get me though the toughest spots.  Seriously, just like my pain pills I couldn't get through this with out them.  I don't take my pills much so that's where I need my friends.  (And yes, my family are my friends, too.)

It really hit me the other day when a good friend of mine stopped by with her husband and visited us.  I was almost completely distracted from my pain and discomfort!  I know how important it is to visit the sick and grieving but that night I experienced a reminder of why it is so important.  

Since I can remember I have dealt with severe depression.  I feel I have it finally under control...  Even through all the trials in my life right now.  But you never know.  That night I was super depressed about not being able to go to church again.  I felt I had let so many down.  I didn't even pull myself back into consciousness until church was almost over.  So I was a no show.  But my friend visited me that night and I felt better about my circumstance and knew I was still loved through it all. 

In my life I have known many people to come out of the woodworks about depression and it really is a common thing.  For some reason people just don't like to talk about it.  It appears to be a sign of weakness or incompetence.  I don't like to bring it up but when I feel the spirit prompt me to I certainly do.  It can feel like a lonely world out there and any illness, including mentally, can make it feel a hundred times lonelier.  

It's so important to have friends.  It's so important to have your life in tune with the spirit to be able to hear the promptings of the spirit and more importantly to act upon them without doubt or question.  Our Heavenly Father has not left us alone.  He is here and we are his instruments in the miracles and blessings he pours out unto us.  But how can we be if we don't act.  Our lives should be full of service and love...  We may live busy lives being swept away with things we feel are important to us...  In the bigger scheme of things it's our relationships with others and showing them unconditional love inspite of our differences and opinions.

You may never know how much your acts of kindness will play out in the lives of others....  But they do play a role.  It does matter.  So when you are feeling down or are going through a tough time...  Get up and serve.  It may be one less "pain pill" they will have to take because of you.