Health, relationships, finances, etc. can all stress us out and cause us to be emotional. It is hard not to get caught up in the circumstances that we find ourselves in. Life happens and we become overwhelmed.

I have been dealing with health issues for a while now. My health issues have made it hard for me to leave the house, and completely stopped my social life. After a while of struggling through each day, I started feeling down and lonely. The people that I saw all the time before I got sick, when I was out and about and that I did life with, I no longer saw or interacted with. Our church campus was an hour away along with most of our friends which was not doable for me and body. So we switched church campuses to one that was only 35 minutes away, but didn’t have many friends. I was embarrassed to share what was happening with me to the people that used to surround me. My physical limitations, extreme anxiety, and embarrassment led to me feeling completely alone.

One thing I didn’t really do was open up about what my struggles have been. Very few people knew what I was going through because I was embarrassed about my health issues. I also didn’t want to complain or “burden” people with my struggles. Looking at it now, I definitely would communicate what I have been going through. Friends are their to walk with you, pray for you, and love you through your journey. Let your friends in, so they can give you support. I am extremely thankful for those that have been there to encourage me and pray for me along the way.

I have read about the “baby blues” that happens for a couple weeks after childbirth. I have seen it in myself and other young moms that are adjusting to their new season of life. This was definitely something I struggled with. I had to adjust to not being able to go out to coffee with all my girlfriends on a whim, going shopping whenever, serving at church, and being on the go 24/7. Just to clarify, I am NOT saying that having a child is bad or an inconvenience. I am wanting to encourage other mamas out there to embrace this new season and pace of life. This is beautiful season of raising this little one you brought into the world.

After struggling with my health issues for some time, my physical limitations  and anxiety started to get to me emotionally. I was becoming depressed. I have dealt with depression before and did not want to go back to that place! This is when I mentioned my emotions to my doctor. I would encourage anyone dealing with depression or anxiety to talk with their doctor. Sometimes it might be a small change in attitude or habits that is needed, it might be a need for therapy, or it might need medical intervention.

Every single day I have to deliberately choose a positive attitude. When you are struggling to get out of bed and complete daily tasks, it is so easy to have a “why me?” attitude. If I’m letting that creep into my mind and stay in that dark space, I won’t get better. Health is mind, body, and soul. To get better, I have to choose joy everyday and trust that God is going to pull me through this. I shared this verse previously in my “health struggle” post, but this is what I have been reading over and over in this season:

“My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is forever mine.” -Psalm 73:26 (NLT)

Along with being positive in my attitude and surrounding myself with supportive people, I push myself to get out of the house. This is not pushing myself to where it hurts me more, but challenging and retraining myself gradually. For me, going to the grocery store, the park, the lake, the pumpkin patch, or the end of the block and back is all helpful and encouraging to me. These little victories help me physically and emotionally so much! Celebrate these little victories and soak up the moments!

I am by no means perfect, and am going through all of this as I type it. I am here to share with you my struggles/be transparent, encourage you, and believe that we will be whole and healthy. What is one of your little victories that you celebrate?