Vacation yick

[DawnAurora]

Hi all: I haven't been on this week because I finally went off on vacation. two weeks, all in VA. This week was Dad's 88th birthday and the reunion of most all the kids. It was great to see my brothers and one sister again, the first time in years that we have been in one room together. Dad's sisters and one BiL joined in for a day as well.

Unfortunately, the night that I hit the front door I got sick with a bad flu. THAT ran down my immune system enough to blow a minor gut trouble into a major Giardia attack. Those two together are a very ugh! combination. The flu bit is over, but my guts are now running like Niagra Falls whenever I eat anything. Makes getting out and doing anything rather hard - I had to pass on a few family outings. You know you're a doctor's kid when what you yell on the pot is, "I hate co-morbidity!"

Prayers to get over this in time to enjoy a little R&R would be much appreciated. I have tried to slow down, rest, and have a little quality time with the Lord while I'm laid up. Kinda hard not to doze off on Him when I'm this wiped out, though.

[LauraA]

So you are there now, Dawn? I'm praying for you. A long awaited and very much needed vacation! Maybe the Lord had to allow this to get you to rest. (?) ;) You take care and I hope you get to have some fun. Hugs!

[DawnAurora]

So you are there now, Dawn? I'm praying for you. A long awaited and very much needed vacation! Maybe the Lord had to allow this to get you to rest. (?) ;) You take care and I hope you get to have some fun. Hugs!

Yes, that thought did cross my mind. But being so physically wiped out doesn't seem very restful - I haven't slept through the night yet, I think. Slow down and chat wiht him, MAAYYYBBEEE..... can't do much else parked on the pot for a half hour at a shot!

Or more likely, it is just more oppression taking advantage of all the stress I've been under.

Which reminds me of a saying that isn't so coarse when it's in this particular context:

"Be the kind of women who, when your feet hit the floor in the morning, the Devil says:
"Oh CRAP! She's up!"

[jllm04]

Dawn, I'm sorry you are sick! But, you guys crack me up...at least you have managed to keep your sense of humor throughout this! It's hard to do sometimes, but I think it helps!! :)
Praying you get some good rest & get to feeling better very soon!
Lana :)

[DawnAurora]

Well, I slept really well last night. My guts have been doing a washout reaction to any solid food or fats I eat. To get the Metronidazole to stick, I had to go on a liquids only diet yesterday - no soup even, just rehydration drinks and clear juice. It finally got my guts to start absorbing medication, but leaves me with very little fuel in the blood so I get dizzy.

I'm moving at turtle speed but at least there's some light at the end of the tunnel. I may ask my boss for a week's extension of my vacation to give my body a chance to recuperate in more physically restful conditions - if I can get alternate plane tickets. We'll see what the Lord and my body says.

Thanks for praying!

[DawnAurora]

Good news, the boss emailed back this morning and gave me the extra week off. Mom's house is 25 degrees F cooler than mine, and that alone will do me wonders.

The Lord has done some interesting work with me about all this. What I've had to work on the last few days is realizing when He's asking for the painful sacrifice, and when I'm assuming He's asking but it's really my worldly expectations based on pleasing people. I just about had a meltdown yesterday over whether or not to take an extension on this vacation. Our HIV coordinator leaves on the 14th, and I was about in a tantrum saying, Lord, I'll be well just a couple days before leaving, and I am wiped, I need some healthy time to just chill. I need time to rebuild some strength before I go back! I'm not willing to make the sacrifice of just getting to where I can do stuff and eat stuff and boom, back to 9 months of hellacious work laying people off! I don't want to ask You if I may extend, I need some consideration here!" He finally got through my head to say, "Child, chill! I don't WANT to ask you to go back wiped out, I'm not against you asking for another week. I'm the one trying to teach you not to think everything depends on you, it depends on Me. You're SUPPOSED to ask for a week at times like this, that isn't an exception you are supposed to beg from Me!"

I was the one afraid and assuming that He would demand sacrifice. As soon as I got the email from my boss granting the extra week, I felt both a 'whoosh' in my emotions and the deeper peace in my spirit that this was of Him. Long history as to why, but I tend to assume He will ask the hardest path of me and not believe that sometimes, He wants on His own initiative to cut me a break and make things easier. Some of it is 'eldest daughter syndrome', some of it is from being the last warrior in the trenches for so long, some for a whole bunch of other reasons. It's been one of the toughest kinks in our relationship to break, I think.

[Kelly]

Praying for you Dawn! I know what you mean. I often feel like He expects WAY more of me than I can handle & I start to feel like "Don't I deserve a break?" But He knows what we are capable of handling more than WE do & I honestly think He pushes us past the limits we've set for ourselves, to show us that we're tougher than we may think...and to make us stronger as a result.

[DawnAurora]

Praying for you Dawn! I know what you mean. I often feel like He expects WAY more of me than I can handle & I start to feel like "Don't I deserve a break?" But He knows what we are capable of handling more than WE do & I honestly think He pushes us past the limits we've set for ourselves, to show us that we're tougher than we may think...and to make us stronger as a result.

I think so too. But I tend to err in the other direction at times, and this was one of them.

Thanks for praying!

[Kelly]

Oh trust me, I do to, all the time! Isn't it sad when you can say something like you know it, then still not feel it at times? That's my biggest struggle right now.

[DawnAurora]

Update - I'm almost done with a double length course of medication and I think we may have this bug licked. I'm able to get out of the house and do stuff with my folks, which we are all enjoying. I head back to Haiti this weekend.

I hope other folk are getting over their 'bugs' quickly!

[LauraA]

I'm happy to hear you are feeling better, Dawn! That was quite a hit you took, but you always seem to learn from each situation and allow the Lord to use you at a deeper level from that point on. I've seen it over and over in the past (few?) years. Enjoy the rest of your week!

[DawnAurora]

Thanks, Laura. I'm better than typing than at living, like many of us. Much of our job is to just keep practicing until we master living it out.

Hope you're feeling better today.