Tuesday Night we had to have one of THOSE talks in our house.

You know the one…where the bottom line is to “Put on your Big Girl Panties and Deal With It!”

Maybe you don’t have any of these type conversations in your house. Or maybe you just call it a “Come to Jesus Meeting” or as my parents use to say “Prayer Meeting Time!”

Tonight, one sweet child of mine was refusing to let me help her brush her teeth that are graced with expensive braces all because she is fearful of a tooth that is loose and destined to fall out. Rightfully so – she is age 8 and still in that stage of losing said teeth!

Therefore, we talked about how our Great God intended on the circumstance of humans to actually lose certain teeth and grow new ones in its place. It happens in baby elephants (I am pretty sure of this, but don’t quote me! ), baby giraffe’s, kittens and even puppies…even our dog!

She just didn’t understand it at all…I told her she didn’t have to – just accept it as a fact of life. God was good and would not have something like that happen if it was meant to hurt us. Instead, having grown up teeth would be better to eat that steak with one day!

After the prayer meeting – I had to share with her the story I would like to share with you today.

I was 4 weeks into my lovely accommodations at Shand’s Hospital almost 9 years ago when everyone decided that after I had spent so much time being isolated to my hospital bed that I should begin to re-learn how to walk. Yes, I said it – re-learn how to walk.

With all the added extra water weight to my body (now almost 200 lbs), my body felt as if I was carrying around 10 of those 5 lb weights that velcro to your feet and arms. Of course, I had all my tubes attached at my neck and arms that needed to “go on the walk” with me. It was a sight!

I was told by the physical therapist that I first had to learn how to get out of the bed on my own. That was hard enough, but next I had to learn how to walk to the door of my hospital room and then the final request, almost with an ultimatum, to walk down to the nurses station. This was probably the hardest task I have ever had to do in my life. Seriously! Birthing children didn’t even compare to this.

I can remember complaining and griping all the way to the door. As I turned past the doorway that day, my compassionate husband (LOL… there is more to that story – he hates hospitals and was doing everything to get me well and out of there! ) said, “You have to do this, so come on and walk to the nurses station!” *smilies*

I was walking down the hallway and as I pushed my IV cart with all my tubing, I swear to you I heard God say, “Amy, You got to push through this… you can do it with MY STRENGTH. It is time to put on your Big Girl Panties and Deal with It!”

Now, some people say that God doesn’t talk that sternly…I would like to invite you into my head and hear it sometimes.

There are times in our lives when life is what it is and we are slowing down the process to see change in ourselves all because we don’t want to deal with the hard stuff. Difficult stuff. Stuff that isn’t always fun!

The fact was it was a MIRACLE that I was even to that point of trying to walk. My life had been spared by the Great Physician of Jesus Christ! I shouldn’t have been complaining. Much less about learning to walk again – I had two beautiful daughters at home that would one day need chasing!

How many times are we actually justified in our complaining or whining over things that God may be using to teach us or change us or take us to a different place?

Sometimes, life tells us to pick up our boot straps and keep going…God will tell us of our next steps. Find something positive to hang on to until you can see the bright side.

I wasn’t smiling that day or not even on the next day over this idea of learning how to walk…especially when I had to learn to do stairs all over again. (It is a weird feeling learning to walk stairs at 31 rather than 9 months old!)

Sometimes you won’t be able to smile as you are pushing through the hard stuff. It will come soon enough. Life has a way of always bringing things that hit you all of a sudden and catch you off guard with tasks that you DON’T want to do! Learning to smile during these times is an art that is learned with time, wisdom and patience.

I can guarantee you that God wants to teach you to “consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2) Did you know that pure joy means to “jump up and down!”

Funny thing how that is what He ultimately wanted me to learn to do. I now jump rope some days for exercise. I think God had a sense of humor in all of this! 🙂

Do you need to put on your big girl panties and deal with something today….we’ll be working on our teeth brushing at our house in the meantime!

Thanks my friends for letting me share today!