Blissful Ignorance

A few weeks ago David and I were sitting on the beach together. It was the warmest evening in months and as the sun set we noticed a group of people in their early twenties throwing a Frisbee around. The guys showed off their "skills" to girls who perched themselves on towels. Each lady seemed more interested in her phone than her coed's failed attempts to impress.

I couldn't help but smile and joke about the situation though. Granted, not all early twenty year old humans act this way, but I laugh because I've been there. Now, at age 26 some of you may be thinking Well, you're not that much older, what do you have to say about it? I'm glad you asked.

I remember what I was like 5-7 years ago.
I thought I knew everything.
I thought I owned the world.
I thought that because I was "out on my own" (hahaha not even close) I was free.
Yet, looking back, I was nothing more than naive.

That's not to say that I didn't have life experiences that shaped me, but in the end I still had parents that took care of me. Even in college, a time of what I thought was complete independence, I was still very much dependent. It wasn't until post college that I truly found that my knowledge of life is more limited than I thought.

In fact, I've found that as I grow older, there's less and less I know and a question of why is not uncommon.

Like...

Why are people so comfortable posting scantily clad pictures of themselves, while things like mental disorders and illnesses are still so hard to openly discuss?

Why does the ability to hide behind the screen of social media bring validation to people being disrespectful to each other?

Why are we so concerned with things like bathrooms when starvation, poverty, racism, persecution, etc... run rampant not only across the globe, but in our own cities?

Why do some of the most important jobs cause employees to live pay check to pay check, while anyone in the entertainment and sports world make millions over night?

Why does time and money have such an unhealthy grasp on our society?

The list continues, but you get the idea. I can only predict that as the world grows in population, my questions will expand and with them my knowledge will begin to shrink.

Now that I think of it, throwing a Frisbee in a fantasy world of blissful ignorance and naivety doesn't seem so bad.

Infectious Musings Part 2

The pain has subsided and I'm left with only a few more antibiotics to take, but I know that there's more to be received from this experience than an increased count of white blood cells.

God revealed a lot to me through this experience, I mean he's present in every aspect of life...so perhaps it shouldn't be that surprising. However, sometimes it takes three infections to give you a spiritual wake-up call.

First of all, it's OK to ask for help. People care about you more than you realize.

I'm a pretty independent person. I take pleasure and pride in figuring things out on my own and doing things myself. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's important to realized that life isn't meant to be lived alone. Without the help of my co-workers, fiance, family, doctors, nurses, receptionists, imagining techs, etc...my experience would've been, to say the least, a disaster.

Second, if something hurts or doesn't feel right, go to the doctor.

Perhaps a more painfully (no pun intended) obvious statement, but I have to say that this was definitely a kick in the rear of a reminder. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and tend to figure things will go away on their own, but that's apparently not always the case. Prolonged pain, or any sort of severe abnormality should probably be brought to the attention of a doctor sooner rather than later.

Third, take time to stop.

Honestly, one of the first things that I said to my mom after we got back from the doctor was "I don't have time for this! I need to do testing with my kids!" I wouldn't be surprised if God laughed a little at my frustrated fit. Though work is definitely a priority, there's no way I could have gone back right away. I go about 100 mph during the week and don't always take time to take care of myself. It's important for anyone to take time to breathe, pray, meditate, what have you. Not just for the physical health, but mental, spiritual, and emotional health as well.

I'm not sure what else to say about the experience, but that I'm glad it's over. Despite a bit of occasional soreness, I am much better.

Praise God for lessons
Praise God for people
Praise God for medicine
Praise God for healing

Praise God