Life Lessons

The last two weeks have been excruciatingly long as I was thrust into battle once again with kidney stones.

Lord, these things are painful!

But as with all challenges, I've been thinking about what I could possibly learn from kidney stones. While still in the heat of the battle, I'm sure there is more than this, but here are my initial thoughts.

1. Don't EVER take good (or even fair) health for granted. You never know when things will change. So don't wait until later. Start today. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!

2. Don't waste time. I'm willing to bet that most of us let a lot of time slip through our fingers. "I can do that tomorrow." "I just don't feel like..." But here's the thing: Time is a gift. Yes, there are times for just resting, relaxing, vegging out, and refreshing. After a season of turmoil or challenge, the temptation is to shut down long enough to recover. I encourage that! But those times should be the exception, not the norm. Productivity is really important to keeping all the plates spinning in our busy lives, and if something unexpected occurs to interrupt that productivity, you'll find yourself wishing for something that can't happen because you're not going to get that wasted time back.

3. Treasure those relationships where you are someone's priority. If you have a husband/wife, mother/father, brother/sister, son/daughter who considers you a priority in their lives, nurture and reciprocate. For those of us with no family ties at all, reality kind of bites in times of crisis. I have a host of wonderful friends, but even in an emergency situation, most people have their own familial priorities and commitments, and they may not be able or willing to provide last-minute assistance.

4. When you have spare time, invest it in The Word. You'll be joyously blessed when you realize you have recently studied a passage of scripture that directly applies to your situation. There is comfort in knowing God's Word, not to mention healing power, encouragement, and deep gratitude.

"The Lord your God...is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." -Deuteronomy 31:6

5. Never discount someone else's pain. I've recently come to realize that there have been instances where I have not shown nearly enough compassion, understanding or sympathy for someone in pain. It's possible that, in the worst of it, they can't think straight,that desperation or fear has gotten the better of them, that their tolerance level has been compromised. Be patient with them. Show more compassion than you're inclined to show. It may seem futile in the face of it, but later ... your kindness will have gone a very, very long way.