First, I want to thank those who have been following my blogs and encouraging me for your patience while I found my way back to writing. I must admit, there were plenty of times I wanted to sit at the keyboard and “let loose”; it just never seemed to click.
The last four years have been hard due to the house fire, but the struggles continued after we moved home as well. At first, just moving in was hard because it was about a month and a half after Peter and I both got out of the hospital with the flu and double pneumonia. I was on oxygen, diagnosed with stage 2 COPD, and dealing with weight gain from being laid up with injuries from the fire. Not burns—nerve damage from when I went back into the house to save our German Shepherds. So, at this point, we were in a beautiful home I wasn’t able to enjoy.
I had hired different housekeepers. Through this process, I realized how much of my mother ran through my blood. We managed to get just the right cleaning equipment, and I set a schedule for cleaning the house. All was well if I didn’t overdo it. At least once a week, I had to take a painkiller, and twice a week, a muscle relaxer.
About nine months ago, I got the wonderful news that I did not have COPD and that it must have been some residual effects of the pneumonia left over in my lungs. Praise the Lord!!! I was able to do things without needing my oxygen and was getting a little more active.
Then tornadoes started happening, and all the pollen and anything else you could imagine was tossed about. It was at that point that I couldn’t breathe well and needed oxygen again. My pulmonologist did a skin allergy test and had to start me on antihistamine nose sprays. After about two months, everything started evening out again—until this fall.
I was always on oxygen, and if I got off the couch to do anything without it, my oxygen level would quickly drop to the low 80s. Long story short, after trying medication and having my physician discuss how bad it was with my insurance company, I am now getting a shot every two weeks for moderate to severe asthma. My allergies trigger asthmatic attacks; thus, allergy-induced asthma. Again, praise the Lord!!! My oxygen is doing fine since I started the shots. Also, I have been able to lose a lot of weight just with diet. God is good!
I gave you this history lesson to get to the story. I was talking with Bob Stacy, my pastor, about how bummed I feel sometimes. I went through my medications, the fact that I’m on oxygen, and the fact that I recently had to get hearing aids. I informed him that those are the first steps toward getting old, and I’m only sixty years old!!! Even though I tried joking through it, the tears started trickling down my cheeks.
It was at this point that Bob did what Bob does best…he prayed for me. During his prayer, he spoke from his heart, saying, “Enough is enough…” At the end of his prayer, I added a P.S.: “…and when we feel that enough is enough, may we be reminded of what Jesus went through for us.” Amen.
I am not saying that I don’t sometimes “feel” that enough is enough, but I know that God has a plan and that He has me in His hands, no matter what. It is true: we have all felt that enough is enough. Sometimes it may be at work, with our spouse, or with our children…we are all familiar with that feeling. Just be aware that feelings come and go. Be sure to pray your way through all of them for His guidance.
“Enough is enough” can also apply to pets. This year, my “babies”—the little dogs—shattered two of my tablets while spazzing out and chasing each other. After I got the second new one, I got back on the Star Trek Command game and found a wonderful Christian group to be part of.
Through chatting, I shared with a player that I had had a block on my writing since the fire. He shared that, as a vet, he has the same problem with drawing due to his PTSD. I told him we’d make a pact: he would draw before the end of the year, and I would blog. We would not continue to allow the enemy to keep a block between us and God’s gifts and blessings. He agreed and said, “Before Christmas.”
World, I guess I’m back!!!
Enough is Enough!!!
Will you also join us in letting go and going forward in this upcoming New Year? I pray that the Holy Spirit convicts whoever is being held back…ENOUGH…IS…ENOUGH!!
This is DeVaughn ~ bringing it home.
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