During the past couple of months, my husband has beenhearing a lot of, “Be grateful you can walk without pain!” and, “At least youcan bend over!” For someone – especially an active person – who has to spend alot of time resting in order to recover from injuries, hearing other peoplecomplain about trifles such as the weather or temporary computer glitches isannoying.

This year, I basically missed spring, and an unusuallypleasant one at that. For what felt like a long time, the mere task of shuffling to thebathroom and then back to my bed was scary, an exercise in cautious painavoidance. A few weeks ago, therefore, I vowed that I would never complainabout our hot and humid summers again, that I would get outside as much as Icould stand it.

Severe cabin fever, and being restricted to a life indoors,had changed my perspective about the weather.

It had also made me feel excessively sorry for myself. Howdare God allow such evil to happen to me! Wasn’t menopause enough punishment for my sins?

Then, my gluteus maximus began to feel as though it werehealing. And I rememberedthe biography about Joni Eareckson Tada and her husband that I’d read a fewyears ago. Thought about all the other people on the planet living withpermanent and severe disability.

I watched a few videos about sacroiliac joint dysfunctionand realized that mine wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. Neither ismy disc compression, which, if bad enough, can cause pain to radiate down thelegs.

I only have localized irritation.

A few days ago from writing this post, twenty-four people –mostly girls – lost their lives in a flood while camping. I have experienced nosuch tragedy in my family. I have lost neither limb nor mind due to war. I haveplenty of money to live on and to share. My son is a decent human being, as ismy husband.

I have a lot to be thankful for. And little to complainabout.

Let’s not forget the dismaying and humbling fact that Goddid His darnedest to keep me from doing the things that caused all my injuries.I just chose to ignore the still, small voice warning me against them.

If you’re hurting or suffering as you read this, I don’tmean to belittle what you’re going through. Believe me when I say that when you’rein the middle of a long-term difficulty, I know how hard it is to see the light at the endof the jet-black, never-ending, claustrophobia-inducing tunnel that you had nointention of crawling into, but now can’t see a way out of.

I get it. You’re allowed to have a moment of anger, ofbitterness, of despair.

But if that’s where you are right now, chances are high thatthere are plenty of people around the world who have it much worse than youever will. Once you’ve worn yourself out throwing a pity party, set your mindon that truth. It will shift your perspective.

And life won’t seem nearly as awful as it did a minute ago.

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." - Philippians 4:8

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