Did you ever ride a bicycle without using your hands when you were a kid?
I did, all the time. Thought I was the coolest kid on the planet, too. There’s something a little fun, a little exciting, a little fearless about the experience. You have to be confident in your balance and your ability to let go, come what may.
So, Thursday morning, when I was in the middle of my morning bike ride, I decided that I would give it a whirl for old times’ sake. I wobbled along joyfully for about 4-5 seconds, laughing all way.
Then I noticed the gentleman enjoying his morning coffee on the front porch of the house I was passing at that time, and he was laughing at me.
So you know what I did?
I laughed a little louder, gave him a wave, and shared a smile with him before going along my way. We enjoyed the moment, us two strangers, and I believe we helped each other start the day off well because of it.
That’s a bit what post-infectious IBS feels like (if you’re trying to live it joyfully, anyway).
People don’t understand what you’re doing or why you’re doing it. They can’t understand the difficulties, fears, and struggles you face along the way. They think you’re a little crazy, maybe.
But you aren’t. And you understand their misunderstandings. But at the same time, you’re just trying to live as joyfully as you can, while you can. I don’t mean that to sound morbid; it’s just the truth. You never know what your life will look like tomorrow, a week from now, a year from now…you just have to enjoy it while you can.
“Therefore, I tell you: do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon, in all his splendor, was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – oh, you of little faith? So do not worry, saying ‘what shall we eat?’ or ‘what shall we drink?’ or ‘what shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all of these things, and the heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all of these things shall be added unto you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble for its own.” – Matthew 6:25-34
It’s easy to worry when you face a situation like mine. Am I going to survive this day? Am I going to get sick today? Is my medicine going to keep working? How much longer will I make it if it doesn’t? Trust me…it is EASY to worry.
But in those moments, you need to take a deep breath, let go of the handlebars, and let yourself enjoy the ride, come what may.
IBS Takes Guts 