Wednesday (Nov 30) was the first Advent Wednesday of the season. I love Advent and Lent as much as I love Christmas and Easter. The first week of Advent is about Hope. This year, more than ever, Hope took on a whole new meaning. I have hope that God hears my prayers. My dad preached a sermon on Elizabeth. She was the cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus. She had been unable to have a child, but that didn’t stop her, nor her husband, from praying for a child. God answered. Maybe 30 years after their first prayers went up, but nevertheless, HE ANSWERED. Elizabeth became the mother of John the Baptist. We should have the same hope. Maybe God won’t answer our prayers immediately. Maybe He won’t even answer them in the manner we like, but He hears and he answers – in HIS time. The other way Hope took on a new meaning for me this year is I now have an 8 month old niece/goddaughter named Hope. I can’t imagine life without her now. So, all the way around, the first week of Advent was a wonderful reminder of the hope we have in Jesus and how He cares for us!
Thursday, I ran errands and went shopping with my mom. I stunned myself by walking from Target down to Hobby Lobby ALL BY MYSELF (using the cane). They are pretty much right next to each other in Turkey Creek shopping center, but still a little jaunt for someone who has problems walking. My mom dropped me off at Target and then went and got her nails done. While she did that, I only had my own two feet and the cane to help me get around. I could have stayed the whole time in Target, but I really needed to go to Hobby Lobby too, so I walked. Sometimes I just need to try things to get over the fear of what may not even come to fruition. I am so happy that God gave me “just enough” courage to try.
On Sunday, I did something I hadn’t done in around 11 years: I used an umbrella!! I could never carry an umbrella and hold on to the walker at the same time, so I used a raincoat. But, Sunday, I finally got to use the yellow umbrella I purchased a couple of weeks ago. I was seriously happier about using the umbrella then I should have been. I mean, that’s not really something anyone cares that much about. But when you haven’t been able to do something in years, it’s kind of a momentous thing when you ARE able to do it. So, I used my yellow umbrella every chance I got on Sunday – even when it was only misting.
Also on Sunday, a church friend (Dave) said he thought of me earlier in the week as he was reading Golf Digest of all things. He asked if I knew what “the yips” was. I had heard of it before, but couldn’t remember where I’d heard of it or in what context. “Yips (according to Wikipedia) is the loss of fine motor skills without apparent explanation, in one of a number of different sports. Athletes affected by the yips demonstrate a sudden, unexplained loss of previous skills. Athletes affected by the yips sometimes recover their ability, sometimes compensate by changing technique, or may be forced to abandon their sport at the highest level.”
According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, “Yips are involuntary wrist spasms that occur most commonly when golfers are trying to putt. However, the yips can also affect people who play other sports — such as cricket, darts and baseball. It was once thought that the yips were always associated with performance anxiety. However, it now appears that some people have yips that are caused by a focal dystonia, which is a neurological dysfunction affecting specific muscles. Some people have found relief from the yips by changing the way they perform the affected task. For example, a right-handed golfer might try putting left-handed.”
Basically, “the yips” is a type of dystonia. Kind of cool. I told Dave, I felt like I had the yips going up to communion. I walk much better than I did on Sunday when I walked up to receive communion. When I think (or know) people are watching me walk, I trip up. Yep…definitely the yips. ;)
Also, I found it fascinating what the Mayo Clinic’s site said about how people found relief from the yips, because unknowingly, I’ve been doing just that. To calm my left hand down, I hold my cane in it. I’m not left handed. In fact, I do almost everything with my right hand, but since the surgeries, I’ve been using my left hand exclusively to hold my cane. It calms it down and gives it a purpose in life (haha).
Today, my co-worker, Debbie exclaimed, “Your hair is so long!” We haven’t seen each other in 3 weeks. I had taken a week off, then she took a week off and then we kept “missing” each other because when she was at work, I was off and when I was at work, she took off. Can you tell we are trying to use our vacation time before we lose it at the end of the year?! She couldn’t believe how much my hair had grown in 3 weeks. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with my hair yet. There are days I like it short, but then there are days that I can’t wait for it to grow just a little more. I probably won’t grow it back out as long as it was, but shoulder length may work.
Today, I also did something I’ve never done before: I hit the “max” electricity that I’m allowed – ha! I had my device set on 4.40 volts on Frequency B. I had been praying about what to do. The conclusion I came to was that I was going to “up” the electricity one more time to 4.50 volts and if nothing happened, the following week, I would switch over to Frequency C. So I got my remote control out and tried to go to 4.50 with no success. It capped me at 4.40 volts. I could go down, but not up. So, for those who had or have been questioning if I have any guidance or direction on how high I can go with the electricity, apparently it’s 4.40 volts. :) I pondered for a moment on what I should do. I could stay at 4.40. I’ve seen success at that voltage. But at the same time, I know it can better. So…I took a leap of faith and switched frequencies. I’ll admit, for the first time, I actually was a little afraid to do so. I was afraid that the progress I had made on Frequency B might all be lost if I switched. But, you know what?! Sometimes you have to do what scares you the most to move forward in life. I’m now on Frequency C and back down to 2.80 volts (what it was set at when I changed to the frequency). Frequency C will vacillate (yes, that’s the word Dr. T. used and yes, I'm ashamed to admit, I had to look it up!) or basically rotate between Frequency A and Frequency B – that’s if I remember that correctly. Both Mom and I had a little difficulty in understanding what it exactly does. She heard one thing, I heard another. Dr. T. tried to explain it to us, but I’m still not sure if we’re sure we understand it – ha! I do remember him saying that some patients thrive on this frequency and it’s a great way to save on battery life. Now, I just wait and see.
As I close this post, I’m reminded once again that God’s hand is in, over and around all things. I must not worry about what may not even come to fruition. I must trust in God and constantly remember that God’s Got This!
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