So then this happened.
Last week my pancreas got real ornery and decided it was just tired of working like it should. So, I spent several days in the hospital treating it with very loving care. Convincing it to just calm down. To take a rest.
I sure didn’t see that coming.
If you’ve had trouble with this enzyme-producing gland, you know that it has a big deal effect on your digestion process. The doctors couldn’t identify why it was acting up, so the most important thing I could do was just give it a break. They took tests and pumped me with fluids and offered relief from … the ornery. I rested and thanked God for the medical systems we have access to.
Since I’ve been home a few days, bone broth has been my best friend. Healthy liquids taste and feel real good. A few solid foods have been added to my no-variety-for-now menu, and my pancreas and I are back on speaking terms.
This unexpected turn of events has reminded me of this:
Sometimes you just need to go back to the basics.
Not eating, then eating extremely simply, resting, and not doing much else has felt so good. Healthy. Restorative. Basic.
It’s good to do that with our faith beliefs too. Go back to the basics.
There’s so much noise about right and wrong, what to believe and what not to believe, and who is good and who is bad. Any statement made by online people we don’t even know, friends, politicians, and faith leaders, apparently requires an immediate, strong response from us, and all our opinions are facts. I wonder what those who haven’t yet discovered God’s love for them think when they watch us Christ-followers argue, shame, and speak and write in capital letters. So much noise. Have mercy.
And then there are times when our own lives get so messy—so ornery—that we can’t even think straight. Everything seems tough and confusing and just plain hard. Our bodies, our hearts, our minds – they just shut down. It takes so much energy to get recharged.
Do you know what I mean?
So how about this.
Let’s go back to the basics. Back to the simple. Fewer words with life-changing encouragement. Reminders of a few of the greatest truths we will ever know this side of heaven.
God loves you.
He sees you.
He’s on your side.
Just live in those words today, OK? Make them your go-to-whisper when the noise gets loud, and your body is tired. Don’t take on every battle. Don’t even try and fix everything because you can’t. Rest in those simple truths that change everything.
And when you’re going about your day, let those words influence how you show up. Through your smiles, your words, your kindness, your actions, and your grace, let the person in front of you know that God loves her. He sees her. He’s on her side.
I’m feeling good. My pancreas and I are friends again and I’m appreciating the simplicity of these days.
