Hashi-what?

Life is not perfect. I know this. Even if you work as hard as you can to do all that you should do, life is going to suck sometimes. I've found this out most recently after being diagnosed with Hashimotos. I take care of my body, I eat well (most of the time), I exercise, I try to keep my stress levels down but yet my body has turned against me. At a time when I have felt close to the Lord and obedient to His will I have been given a trial. In the eyes of many, I'm sure my trial seems small. It is so easy to look at another's life and wonder what the big deal is. I think these are the two main things that I have learned most recently.

It does not matter how big or small a trial may seem to you, IT IS big to that person. How easy is it for us to offer a quick fix and be on our way. I'll be honest that it was not until I was diagnosed with Hashimotos that I understood this and I'm sure that even now I only understand a small degree of it.

You are a child of God. Things are going to happen to you that you don’t understand and you don’t want to happen. This is really the purpose of our existence here on this earth. When you understand this, everything becomes a little easier. Instead of a death sentence, we can see whatever trial as a way to progress and become a better version of ourselves. I figured this out the day I was diagnosed with Hashimotos. I remember I really had no idea what Hashimotos was and looked up an article online titled “I Am Hashimotos” or something to that effect. The article told me essentially everything that could go wrong with your body when you have untreated Hashimotos. The possibilities are endless; there is nothing that it cannot affect. The ones that scared me the most were weight gain with a lot of difficulty to lose weight, extreme fatigue (which I was already experiencing and is what lead us to the blood work which revealed the disease), and the high risk of miscarriage and infertility. I read all this while driving in the car with my little family. I broke down and started sobbing. After we got home I told Andrew I was going to take a hot bath and I did. I literally laid in the tub, near weightlessness, curled in a ball with my ears under the water listening to my heart beat for almost an hour. I wondered how in the world my body could do this to me and as well why the Lord had done this to me. Looking for comfort I text my friend Brittney the news, among many many sweet words of comfort she suggested that Andrew give me a blessing. I had not even thought of a blessing until that point. I immediately asked Andrew if he would be willing to give me a blessing, not to be healed but to be comforted.

I have never received a blessing so powerful and clear as the one I received that day. Before the blessing I said a prayer asking for specific guidance and answers to specific questions. Each one was answered even more fully than I had expected. I had been blessed with a very clear vision of why the Lord had aloud this disease to take control of my Thyroid and what he expected me to do with this trial.

I can say today that trials are needed and are actually blessings in our life. Even though this disease will never leave my body in this lifetime I do not fret because I know that the Lord has a very specific plan for me. He has a very specific plan for each one of us. We can receive joy and comfort through our toughest trials if we ask of the Lord to lift us and guide us through. We will be blessed and we will come out of it a better and more Christ-like person if we are willing to be molded.

I’ve learned that it is important never to downplay anyone’s trial. Whether the trial is of health, infertility, substance abuse, pornography, low self-esteem, bad sleeping habits, or any other difficult thing in this life, it is difficult and all consuming for that person.  Even now as I write this post I know that things are hard but they are good and of God. He is there for each one of us. He is there for you.  This is my testimony to you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

My Perfectly, Imperfect Life Photo Challenge

Essentially I wanted to take pictures of my everyday life that weren't posed and made everything look perfect and happy all the time. Naturally, people only post pictures of their life when it's good. I decided to take a few "real" pictures to make everyone else feel more normal too! Want to join too? I would love to see your post.

Laundry everywhere, bed not made.

No make up. Hair not done.

Most days Denali just wears her princess dress all day.

A dozen donuts almost gone. So much for being healthy.

The new daily routine. 

As much as I don't like it, some days Daniel Tiger is a must.

My thinking spot.

Things have gotten a TON better but there are still days when I really struggle to stay awake let alone do anything else. Thank goodness for modern medicine which is saving my life.

I was the mom at the Library who was letting their child run around...