*This is the weekly update post for the “12 Months to a Healthier You” Challenge. To find out more about this challenge and to see all of the posts on this topic, click here.
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Morning. That time of day when His mercies are new, and we thank Him for another clean slate, another chance to glorify Him. I try to begin my day with Bible reading time, and then I try to use the last few moments of early morning quiet to pray.
But often, what I really want to do is to go right back to bed. So many times my prayers have begun with “Lord… I”m just so tired.” And sometimes I can’t say much more than that. It’s frustrating, and discouraging. And it’s robbing me of my “walk in the garden” with God.
But it’s not just that. I’m not able to do what I want to do with and for my family. It’s embarrassing to say this but the thing I dream about most often in the course of any given day is just a chance to curl up in a ball on my bed. Sometimes I just “hit a wall” and I Just can’t do anything else. So I go, I curl up on my bed, just like I’ve been longing to do, and I try to pray.
But all that comes out is “Lord… I’m just so tired. I’m just… so… tired..”
I’d like to say that I drift off to sleep but I have no such luck. Sleep eludes me. But the few minutes of quiet and my desperate prayer take the edge off my fatigue. And I continue on with my day.
And when the day is done; stories are read, prayers are said, and the children are tucked in bed, I begin to pray. And it often begins with “Lord… I’m just so tired.”
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I shared all of this with you not to complain or to get your sympathy, or just to hear myself talk. I share because I want my struggles in life to count for something. If I’m going to walk through a valley then I want to turn around and extend a hand to someone who is one step behind me in the same valley. If I don’t share what my valley “looks like” then how will you know that I’ve walked through the valley you’re in, and that I’m offering a helping hand?
If you’ve spent much time on my blog, you know that I struggle with depression. For the most part I’m learning to keep it under control. You’d probably never guess it’s a problem for me if you met me in person and I didn’t mention it.
Recently I was diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue. Monday I’ll be tested for Candida overgrowth. Both of these conditions cause many of the same symptoms, including extreme fatigue and… depression.
They also share some common causes and treatments; an important treatment being to cut sugar out of your diet. Oh boy. I think I’d rather just take a pill. But life’s struggles aren’t often cured with a pill. And so, the sugar has to go. I can’t say I’m excited about giving up sugar. I don’t eat a lot of sugar but to get it out of my diet will be a difficult hill to climb. I know that this is what God wants for me (it’s what he wants for all of us), and I trust that He is going to give me the strength and support I need to make it happen.
Monday evening, I will be joining a group of lovely women on a 28 day detox program. That just means that we’re going to train ourselves to eat whole, nourishing foods and to nourish our minds and spirits as well.
I’m looking forward to it (mostly… let’s just be honest), and I want to share it with you as I go along. If you’re following along in the Healthier You Challenge, you know that this month’s challenge with Crystal is to drink more water. I mentioned in my last update that I’d be veering from that a bit. While I’ll certainly be drinking my water (can’t detox without water!) I’ll also be focusing on eating a lot less sugar and refined flours.
I believe that God wants us to be healthy and that He has given us everything we need to accomplish that. I want to share with you my triumphs and struggles, as well as things I learn along this path to healing. I’ve already learned so much! It’s so exciting to know that we can feel good! And often without synthetic medications.
If you want to reclaim you health, or just read along to encourage me and others who need some of that, then please, come back often.
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Image courtesy of Apolonia/Freedigitalphotos.net
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