Do you have allergies? Perhaps your nose gets runny in March and October. Or maybe you start sneezing when you walk into a pet store. I am allergic to cats. This would not be quite so problematic if I did not have dear loved ones that are cat people. I myself will never own a cat, but my physical discomfort from cat hair is so sensitive that I cannot take fabric hand-me-downs from cat loving homes without significant consequences.
I also have a kiddo with allergies. Hers are a little more tricky. Beginning 16 months ago, she developed rashes and hives. At first, we thought is was chemically based. Then, we began to address stress induction. Today, she had a reaction to what we can only assume is food. Her face becomes flushed. Her throat starts to burn. She has hives. Her chest gets heavy. We carry EPI pens in case of emergency. It's scary.
She takes two monster shots every month to help the hives, and it certainly helps. But reactions like today still happen even though she wakes up each morning and takes 540mg of Allegra and each evening, she takes 30mg of Zyrtec. Every. Freaking. Day. Today, we added liquid Benadryl for safety reasons.
Allergies are terrifying. They literally can take your life giving breath away. But, they also call you to diligent self care. You must take your medicine. You must see your doctors. You get shots. You watch what you come in contact with. You avoid known triggers. And even when you do those things, they can still flare and the only thing to do is rest and let your body heal with added rounds of medicine and napping.
Perhaps it is not acrylic fumes or kitty fur or nuts, but is there something in your life that has the ability to take away your life giving breath? Something that you have to stand against it in a daily discipline? You may even have a life rhythm that helps you protect against the destruction. But sometimes you have a day where out of no where, your chest gets tight and you can feel the shallowness of your breath.
What's your EPI pen? Is it your best friend? Is it music? It is your Bible? Is it yoga? It is art? If you don't know what to run for when you begin to feel the itching or the sneezing, perhaps you have some work to do. That's my challenge for you today. In the blog or Facebook comments, share your lifeline. Just type one or two or five words. Let's share with each other the many ways that we seek healing. No judgement, there is no right or wrong. May we just be encouraged by the many ways that the Creator is redeeming creation.
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