Last Friday our church had a farewell party for some dear friends who are moving out of state. All day long I debated if I would go or not. My body wasn’t feeling great, but I knew if I missed this special time I’d regret it.
So I pushed myself out the door. Once I got there a wonderful thing happened – the adrenalin kicked in and I was able to have a wonderful time! I enjoyed visiting with friends and family and honoring our dear friends who are moving.
I did leave early, but it was such a blessing that I got to be there at all. Not long ago, that would not have been possible.
For many years I had “adrenal insufficiency” – which basically meant that my adrenals had quit working. I depended on a medication (cortisol) to keep my body alive. If I had a stressful situation I had to increase the medication. I had no physical “reserve” for emergency situations. As much as I wanted to push my body at times, it just wasn’t physically possible. If I had, it would have caused adrenal crisis, which is life-threatening.
(Back in 2008 I wrote an explanation about the dangers of adrenal insufficiency here. It might help you understand what life used to be like for me.)
But now my body is so much healthier and stronger, with a reserve of strength, that I CAN make myself do things, even if I don’t feel up to it.
Of course, this doesn’t mean I should push myself all the time, and I don’t. But for those really special occasions that I just don’t want to miss, I’m SO thankful that I Can utilize adrenalin!
God has created our bodies in such a remarkable way! Yet it’s important that we listen to our bodies and take care of them.
What does your body need today?
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