I got sick last week; really, really sick. It was the meaner, uglier version of the stomach virus I got a few weeks earlier. Besides making me want to curl up in a ball and die, it made me think about a lot of things. The first thing it brought to my attention was how much I need my husband. Those of you who know me might be gasping right now, because I generally give the impression that I don't need anyone. Although I think giving the impression of total independence is not healthy (mainly because it's not true), I've come to realize that I do it quite often! I've always tried to put myself in a position where I could take care of myself with no one's help should it come down to it. I'm sure I've missed out on a lot of depth in relationships because of this, but I guess acknowledging that it's a problem is the first step to fixing it. I'll be sure to work on that on my own, not asking anyone for help. :) Anyway, Tuesday night as I lay writhing in pain and crying like a baby I thought, "Man, I really need Matt right now!" Let me explain; he was out of town the entire week. Fantastic week for him to be gone, right? I'm kind of thinking that was part of God's point...putting me in a position where I really needed God's love and mercy shown through my husband when he wasn't there. It made me realize how much I needed it.
Another thing this horrific virus made me aware of is that there are many aspects to thankfulness. By Saturday the first round of prescriptions had not helped, and the Immodium had not helped. The doctor was finally willing to give me something else, so I got a new prescription on Saturday. With that prescription came the command, "Thou shalt not consume dairy for two days". No dairy for two days! I love food, and love all things dairy. Being lactose intolerant fro two days was absolutely horrible. I barely made it two days...talk about lack of self control! I know people who are lactose intolerant for good, and I have much more respect for them now. I was totally willing to get incredibly sick just to eat cheese or ice cream...how ridiculous is that? Okay, back to the point. I think of myself as very thankful for the food God has blessed our family with. We always have much more than enough, and can always make something tasty and delicious from the things in our pantry and fridge. Not everyone has that luxury, and I thank God often for it. However, I don't very often thank God that I have intestines and kidneys that generally function on a healthy level. Not everyone has that luxury either, and it affects them at least three times a day when meal time comes around. I need to be thankful for all the aspects of the eating experience that God has blessed me with, and visiting the bathroom every fifteen minutes for almost a week made that a little more clear.
