Cheerleaders for the Defeated

Chronic nausea, chronic fatigue, chronic pain (aka fibromyalgia), anxiety disorder, stomach issues, and back pain ... also add that I need to constantly wear glasses now (aka the cherry on top this crappy cake) and you've got me in a nutshell.

All these little factoids can get rather depressing at an alarming rate and sadly, it has.  It's frustrating when you try to work out and can't because you can hardly tolerate sitting, let alone do squats or go for a walk.  It's difficult to make a healthy dinner when your nausea makes you want to do nothing but lay down and close your eyes - willing you internal organs to stop hosting this circus of flips and flops.  Need to vacuum?  Have guests coming in an hour?  Still need to bake that casserole?  Hmm... now seems the perfect time to get a migraine. 

As soon as I would find the motivation to move, progress, clean, cook ... anything... something would "malfunction" and I would be down for the count.  I have, however, gotten pretty good at cell phone games ... as if that is something to be proud of.

This morning, after yet another doctor's appointment, I found out that I need to change my lifestyle even more to help cope with my chronic developments and work with physical therapy to help heal my back.  Utter defeat was all I felt and wasn't thrilled with the fact that I was starting my week this way ... so once to work, I pop on Pandora and rummage through my emails when I hear, "I'm gonna cheer you on!" [Cheer You On by Jordan Feliz]  *ears perk up*  "What?  I'm gonna cheer you on...? Oh yeah; I'm not doing this alone."

2 Corinthians 4:8 reads, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair..."

Why?  Because God is with me; He's with me while I struggle with this crumbling brick building of a body.  He's with me while I struggle and complain about the pain and discomfort.  He's with me when I strive, so hard, to be positive; to remember that these "ailments" will not take me down but rather just mildly slow me down while I strive for physical and mental strength.

God is my strength!  He is my powerhouse.  He is my hope and HE is the reason why I know that this feeling of despair will not last forever -- He's cheering me on!