I Will Not Dwell On What Is Lost, But On What Remains

We all have times of discouragement, but we aren't supposed to live there. When things are going bad for us we need to press on and engage more than when things are going great!

I have had two doctors tell me that I will not regain the part of my vision that I have lost in my right eye. The first doctor said my vision loss was due to Optic Neuritis, but the doctor at Mayo Clinic said that it was from a stroke of the optic nerve. Most of us know that a stroke means there was a lack of blood supply to that particular nerve. I had a Neurology EMG on Thursday that did show abnormalities in the nerves in my head and face....Trigeminal Neuralgia, which is the largest nerve in the head. It has three branches of nerves. One of the branches reaches the eyes. When the nerves are inflamed they can press on the blood vessels. This could explain why I had a stroke of the optic nerve. The doctor at Mayo Clinic told me that there is a chance it could happen to my other eye so I have to be preventative and take a baby aspirin every day. They still want to make sure I don't have Vasculitis by doing a MRA of the chest. I have to see a Neurologist in town to see what my next step will be. I have a consultation appointment with my primary care doctor on Thursday to get all of this in the works.

I am most confident that things could have been much worse. I could have lost all the vision in my eye or eyes. I could have had a major stroke. I could have had an aneurism. I could have died. And through all this, I've come to the realization that little everyday things need to be noticed. Appreciated. Celebrated.

I will not dwell on what is lost, but on what remains.

I have also come to learn that blindness of the soul and mind is much worse than any physical sickness. When we think we are too tired to go on...too sick to go on...the GOD of our lives gives us the strength to keep going. When my semblance of power is lacking, His perfect power is excelling. He is all we really need!

Our faithful obedience and loyalty UNDER PRESSURE is the most powerful testimony we can give of our love and faith in God. But sometimes we lose our perspective. We get defeated and discouraged. We eat too many Hot Now doughnuts from Krispy Kreme. We order fattening cheeseburgers and awkwardly burst into tears. And so God uses His Word and encouragement of others to get us back on track. To remind us to keep doing the things He has called us to do.

So Without God's touch my vision will not be restored. But I refuse to get stuck in the depressing quicksand of what I've lost. Tucked within the crevice of loss usually a gift can be found. When the worst thing happens, the best remains.

My feelings are indicators, not dictators.

We cannot put the whole of our identity into the smallness of our situation. Because we have been given fullness...In Christ. We can place the wholeness of our identity in that reality...and see everything else as small in comparison.

We each have our own God given assignments. We cannot judge ourselves against someone who has a different assignment from us. When we live out of fullness in Christ, we no longer live up to something, we live out of someone....Jesus.

We all must remember that if we aren't a little bit uncomfortable every day, we're not growing. All the good stuff is outside our comfort zone. I definitely don't want to miss all the good stuff!...Do you?

Choosing to follow the will of God is the most important choice we will ever make! Nothing is impossible with a willing heart!

Blessings,
Dalinda