The Silver Lining

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.  1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
There's always a silver lining, isn't there?  You see someone else's situation and realize yours is not so bad.  You watch the sufferings of a loved one and are reminded that there are things worse than death.  You are late coming back from lunch because of traffic and realize that hold-up saved you from a serious accident. You lose your job unexpectedly but end up finding one that better suits you.  Or you end up with strep throat and conquer an addiction, one that you were secretly hoping to cut loose.  That is what happened to me this week.

Last weekend, after a great weekend, I'll have to write about later, I developed a sore throat.  Uh-oh.  I have had strep throat one time and it was only a couple years ago.  I never understood it until I had it.  And I'm not even saying I've had it as bad as others.  I only know this, my throat felt like there were shards of glass in it and that someone must have started a bonfire down there and kept it burning 24/7 for several days.  Nights were the worst because my throat would get dry, the Tylenol or Motrin would wear off and I would wake up...and then not be able to get back to sleep (which is often a problem for me anyway).  Coughing up blood from my throat and the roof of my mouth beginning to hurt was the final straw.

Everything that went in my mouth felt like hot lava sliding down my throat but it didn't stop me a whole lot.  I know most people lose weight in this circumstance, not me, I continue to eat because I feel like I deserve it and the opposite happens.  By Monday, I decided that I could not handle the burning sensation from my gas station fountain Diet Pepsi in the 32 oz Styrofoam cup and I have not had one since Saturday...that is my little silver lining.

I know it may sound like I'm making light of things, I'm not.  I am quite serious.  Even though my addiction to the 32 ounces of sweet fountain Diet Pepsi sounds silly and trivial, it had kinda taken control over me and I didn't like it at all. I would joke and make lots of fun about it, but deep inside I knew it was completely ridiculous.  It had a hold on me both mentally and physically.  I had decided a couple weeks ago that I really, really wanted to try to give up the daily 32 oz fountain D.P. but wasn't quite ready to take the plunge.  I kept thinking about it and coming up with plans so as not to develop the lack-of-caffeine-headache.  I didn't want to give up the D.P. entirely, I just wanted to become less dependent upon it...because literally on a Saturday or Sunday if I didn't have it by 9:00, I would start getting that nasty headache and nothing would satisfy it.  I thought a lot about giving it up, but that's where it ended.

So my guess is that God decided I needed a little push so-to-speak and it came via hot burning flesh in my throat...and now that I'm actually feeling better physically, I'm super stoked that I have not had my pop since Saturday morning and I live to tell about it.  I did have some D.P. at Monical's on Sunday evening, but that is different.  I'm not giving up pop forever, I'm just going to cut back, way back and see what happens.  Hopefully, I'll notice something, anything, in a few weeks in how I feel or sleep or even sugar cravings because I've read that the Diet drinks just make you crave sweets.  I know that D.P. has no nutritional value whatsoever and that it has so many chemicals in it, it cannot be good for my body.

Every cloud has its silver lining and this week, even though both my kids were sick, I was sick, and it was a really bad week at work to be sick (and still have to work), I am choosing to embrace the silver lining.  God knew that I needed a little kick in the pants to get this whole free-from-the-D.P.-process going so he provided a way for me to endure it...the withdrawals were substituted by the scorching throat.  I didn't have time to focus on an annoying headache!! 

I thank God that he helped me break free from my addiction, as petty as it was.  Jay wants me to start drinking coffee and maybe I will, but maybe I'll try de-caf!  Sometimes God will use whatever he has to in order for us to find the silver lining because there always is one...we just have to be willing to look for it.