REST

 I'm a go-getter and do-er. If I put my mind to something, I'll work myself to death to get it done, which really isn't healthy, physially or emotionally. There can be perks to a personality like mine because I am a very productive person and rarely quit before a job is done. However, those traits don't mix well with Ankylosing Spondylitis and cause me to be terrible at taking care of myself.

Packing up and moving a family of six into a new home over the past couple of weeks has been absolutely exhausting for me. I really don't like clutter or disorganization so I have worked and worked and worked. It's been less than a week since we moved in and our new, three-story home is really close to being unpacked and we're almost settled in. But now, I'm paying for it physically.

As I sit here being infused with medication to get me through the next 8 weeks, I've been thinking about why God has allowed this disease in my life. I've realized that I am proof that even someone with a lot of physical limitations, who lives with chronic pain, can do what God calls them to do. Not because of anything I've done but because He equips those He calls and strengthens them so they can do the work laid out before them.

I'm also a reminder that people need rest. The infusions I recieve every 8 weeks require a few days of rest to recuperate from. I usually spend 2 days laying on the couch, sleeping, watching the Disney channel with my kids, and allowing my family to take care of me. Without this forced time of rest, I would never take the time to recharge.

I've come to believe that God has allowed Ankylosing Spondylitis in my life to show others that if we're willing to follow Him, even when it's hard or scary or painful, He will do the work and supply all of our needs, no matter what. Even when we are physically limited or emotionally drained, we can trust Him. There really are no valid excuses.

I've also realized infusion therapy not only treats my AS symptoms and protects against future damage, but God also uses it to make me lay down. A much needed reminder that even when we are willing to be used by God and He has done all the heavy-lifting, we NEED to rest. If we don't make ourselves rest, something will come along that forces us to.

You'll probably see me running around like crazy, doing a hundred things again next week because that's how God made me. (I've appologized for my personality traits for far too long, so now I'm embracing those things, whether others understand it or not!) It's okay to be okay with who God made us to be!

But for now, I'm looking forward to 2 days of resting in our new home with my family.Ya'll please pray for me to be able to look past the remaining boxes!

Tori