Monday, February 9, 2009

Acceptance

2-9-09 artistic right brain
Still on the Surrender topic from last week......Today I will share with you some more of my early art. This is from my collection of "Storytelling Art" done around 1998, during my "hand phase". I would paint and write a story or poem to go with my drawings.



“Acceptance”
(Inspired by, and dedicated to Pam)

I’M LEARNING, VERY SLOWLY, TO HOLD MY HANDS OUT AND TO ACCEPT WHAT THE UNIVERSE HAS TO OFFER ME.

This has not been an easy lesson for me, especially regarding my health.
In the last 10 years it seems as if I’ve been prone to illness, starting with the diagnosis of chronic fatigue in 1990. “The Yuppie Flu” the media was calling it at the time. Doctors had comments like: “You’re working too hard”, “You must be stressed”, “You just need a vacation”, “Are you depressed?” Well, I discovered most of that was probably true, as I then was given the time to reevaluate my life’s situation while lying in bed for a month, back home under my parent’s care.

I suppose I’m luckier than most people with a chronic disease; I didn’t loose my job, I had good health insurance, I had caring people to help and support me AND I learned that I was able to find spiritual growth from this experience. I discovered that an illness might actually be a GIFT.

Oh, I realize it’s not always easy to look at being sick that way. I usually get so frustrated each time I suffer from yet another period of fatigue. Yet, consistently, I’ve noticed over the past several years, that each time I’m laying in bed recuperating, some lesson or wisdom about life is given to me. Sometimes I think good health is a consolation prize given to those souls who aren’t ready to experience spiritual growth. However, I’ve been told by a reliable source (my pastor Sam) that you don’t always need hardship to grow. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been my experience so far.

I’ve discussed this idea with my friend Pam, who also struggles with her health at times. Pam was born a premature twin back in the late 1950’s without the advantage of today’s technology (her twin sister didn’t make it). Pam suffers some left sided paralysis and eyesight problems. She has talked about the time when someone actually told her she could be healed if she had enough faith. I giggled at the irony of that statement, since Pam is one of the most faithful and devoted Christians that I know. Pam and I both agreed that our “illness” has helped us become stronger, wiser, and more faithful.

ACCEPTANCE AND SURRENDERING CONTROL TO A HIGHER POWER ARE VALUABLE LESSONS FROM A CHRONIC ILLNESS- for which I am grateful.

2 Corinthians 4: 16-18
Philippians 4: 11-13

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