Elimination Diet:Perspective

Well I made it through day 1 of my Elimination/Detox Diet!The food part was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be and was pleasantly surprised by the recipes.Even Jeremy like them! (thank you Jesus:) I did have some symptoms though which is hard to tell is just my normal stuff or worsened by fighting off the bacteria. 

But despite the extreme fatigue most of the day and the sharp pain I felt in the left side of my neck and side of my face when I attempted (and failed) to get even an hour of restful sleep....I'm excited!

Excited that despite the long (and I'm sure challenging) road this will be, for the first time since I started getting sick I finally feel like I'm on the right road. And that changes everything for me. 

I realized it's now about one thing...Perspective.

How I view this process, the pain, the discomfort, changes everything.

We read a story in the bible recently that really hit home with me. The one in II Kings about the servant, Naaman, who was suffering from leprosy. He came to Elisha the prophet seeking healing. Elisha told Naaman he needed to “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” 2 Kings 5:10 

That's it. He was told exactly what he needed to do to be healed from this horrible disease.Done deal.Peace of awesome cake right? But did he shout for joy and run Forest Run towards the Jordan? 

Nope. He got angry."But Naaman became furious and went away." 2 Kings 5:11 Now we're probably thinking what a fool! But how often do we do the same thing? (Disclaimer:I am in no way pointing fingers except towards my own sour face right now.)

Naaman was frustrated because things didn't happen the way he expected. Familiar?All too much to me. His anticipated idea of how God should work was crushed and so therefore his hope was too.In his mind he thought it would be as easy as 1,2,3. 1)call out to God 2)God waves his hand over him 3)sweet healing.

Naaman even tried to negotiate with God (i'm sure we never do that;) He 'informed' them there were closer rivers that would do the job just as well. How often are we given wise advice but choose to ignore it because we think we know better? We think,  God why make us go the hard way when this way would be soooo much easier?

My reaction was much like Naaman's.Have there been times I've prayed for God to just miraculously heal me? Absostinkinlutely! That's the preferred way right? The easiest way. But also the way we may not learn what we need to. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being healed that way or that God doesn't still do that, because HE DOES.

 But if I really, truly believe He's going to heal me, it shouldn't matter what means He uses to achieve it. The end result is still the same...I'M BETTER! Trusting His timing is not always easy. It may not come in our time, but it will come in the perfect time. I have to look at the fact that He knows exactly what our character needs to experience to get the absolute best out of the circumstance.

The simple instructions for Naaman became humbling ones and he decided that the long journey would be worth the reward. He went to the Jordan, washed himself 7 times, and was healed! Why 7? In the bible it's a sign of Perfection. Each dunk in that Jordan was a step of faith, was belief in God's word towards healing. The water wasn't what healed Naaman, his faith was. God could have used whatever means he wanted to bring healing (which he proves many times in the bible)  but he chose what would humble Naaman and therefore change his perspective towards the true power of God.

In much the same way God has done that for me and is still doing it. The symptoms I'm experiencing right now might not be easy but the way I look at the pain changes the whole experience. I can complain, be sad, frustrated, or impatient (which I've done all too well in the past) with the heightened symptoms of this cleanse OR I can look at them as only a means to a wicked awesome end. A humbling, faith building road to health. 

I don't know if you believe in Jesus but I can tell you from my own personal experience that my perspective would be a lot different in this, my hope a lot less, if I didn't have him in my life. He gives me hope every single second of every day that despite the pain, despite what I feel or see, that I can have undeniable joy. That I can have strength (like going to the gym when my body's telling me 'no way jose'). I can have hope that what I'm currently experiencing is only temporary and that I'm one step closer to healing.

And if I ever start to lose hope in the process I know I can trust in God to provide me with a new perspective.

                    A little perspective, like a little humor, goes a long way.  -Allen Klein