January 6, 2022 – Thursday
Joy in the Stretching
Praise the Lord for His goodness! The lemons of yesterday, breast biopsies and no heat, made the sweetest lemonade. I refused to allow them to make me pucker and pout. Instead I chose joy. There were times it wasn’t easy and my mind wanted to travel down the darkest most familiar path of worry. Yet I refused, time and time again. Did I worry a little? Yes. But did I persevere? Yes! As I sat in the sterile room, my breast in compression, awaiting biopsy I was uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable about the needle. I was uncomfortable about the procedure. I was uncomfortable about the results. Being stretched is never comfortable -especially when it is your breast. Those of you who have had a mammogram know what I am talking about. Biopsy is breast compression plus needle. Double whammy.
As we sit in a place of stretching… we have a choice. Will we allow our mind to travel down every possible dark path of what if, doubt and worry it can find? Or will we choose to focus on and trust God and pray for a heavenly perspective. My first line of defense is to decree health and not come into agreement with sickness. After that I lay it all at God’s feet and trust Him with the rest. It is easier said than done. It has taken years of stretching and practice. I am not always good at it, but I am getting better. I am paving new paths of joy, trust, and peace to travel down in lieu of the darkest valley.
Our brains have been created with the amazing capacity to remap pathways and neural connections. This is known as neural plasticity. Simply put, we are not at the mercy of our thoughts and experiences. We can rewire our brains and alter our response to events that typically create a fight or flight response.
My beloved pastor at my church in Colorado initially introduced me to the concept of rewiring my brain. He recommended the teachings by Dr. Caroline Leaf. Dr. Leaf is a Christian neuroscientist whose passion is teaching people about the power of the mind to change their brain. Her teachings are easy to understand, powerful, and life changing. I have a link to those resources below.
“You are not a victim. You can control your reactions. You do have a choice.” ~ Switch on Your Brain, Dr. Caroline Leaf
I initially read Dr. Leaf's books back in 2018 when I was going through a period of intense anxiety. I had never experienced anxiety to this level before and was at a complete loss on how to regain control of my thoughts. With the help of my pastor, praying and supportive friends, Dr. Leaf’s teaching, a breathing coach, and anti-anxiety medication, I was on the road to recovery. It was a painful season of stretching that was transformative.
There is so much more I could write about that season of my life and hope to get to that one day. But for now… let’s get back to the stretching…
As I sat in the compression, waiting for the radiologist to examine the image and locate the place of biopsy, my thoughts wandered. Time and time again I lassoed them up and redirected them. As the radiologist approached I took a deep breath. What happened next stunned me. She told me that she couldn’t find the place of concern and that there would be no need for a biopsy today. She apologized for the inconvenience and told me I could go home. She recommended I come back in six months for follow up. Praise God! In my heart I knew it wasn’t anything concerning, but fear was screaming at me telling me otherwise. I feel so thankful for God’s wisdom to identify anxiety and fear for what they are, and for the confidence and courage to face each challenge with joy.
On my way home I decompressed at the library picking up the Andy Griffith movies I had put on hold. They had been free on Prime and we were having so much fun as a family watching these old shows together. As of January 1 they are no longer free. We are thankful the library is well stocked on Andy Griffith. I then stopped by the used books for purchase and found so many! Our home library continues to grow. An over-abundance of books is part of the reason we spent so much of our Christmas break reorganizing. We have to make space for the books!
That afternoon I got home to a warm house (the heat was fixed) and tender hug from husband. Lemonade!!
Since December 31th, I have been journeying through this season of stretching. It was only six days praise God (I have been stretched for much longer periods). But without stretching there is no growth. It isn’t the destination that God is after, it is the journey. How we journey matters!
No matter what the stretching in your life, the outcome is extravagant, like a limousine. Whatever you are facing – you can find the joy. Even when it’s hard. Fake it till you make it. Skip the woe is me path and head down the road less traveled. Maybe even start with serving others. This less traveled path will make all the difference.
Resources:
VIDEOS
How too Detox Your Brain - Dr Caroline Leaf
BOOKS