When Things Are Stuck

I had to face a rather hard and painful problem last week.  There is still residual pain, but I had to push past it and keep going.  Its one of those things that just comes on so suddenly, but there’s nothing you can do. You’re sitting there, waiting for something to change, but time and again, you end up disappointed.

This problem is called “constipation”.

I managed to really bungle up my usually regular system, which soon turned into something a little more problematic than I had ever dealt with before.  It didn’t take long, and my inability to pass more than about a Timbit sized rock every day for several days in a row started to blow up into another unpleasant issue.

This secondary problem is known as the world’s most ginormous hemorroid, which is one of those beautiful after-surprises of childbirth.  Times that by three, and this particularly large tag along has become somewhat familiar to me already.

Because God has a sense of humour, and despite my pleas for this problem to go away very quickly and without a hassle, it turned into what I am sharing this morning.  So for that –and ONLY that - I am grateful.

After several days of just barely passing Timbit sized rocks, I realized that trying to push out this monstrosity on my own strength just wasn’t working.  Doing all that straining had only caused me more problems – that horrible hemorroid.  I was literally limping around the house, and dare I even mention that moment when I grabbed the mirror to investigate the damage, and nearly passed out at the view?!  It was horrific.  How had it come to this?

This reminds me of when we are dealing with other life problems as well.  Why do we rely on our own strength and plans to get us the results we desire? Why do we have to hit rock bottom so often before we turn to God for help?    It seems that only once we’ve pushed ourselves into the most vulnerable position, and we feel there’s nothing left to lose will we turn to God and ask Him for help.

Well, I did ask God for help.  Right after I consulted my mom.  Oh thank goodness for moms!  A quick trip over to her place and I was armed with an arsenal that could surely take down the most giant wall of constipated stool!  By now my bathroom counter was looking at lot more like that special aisle at Shopper’s Drug Mart that one might not want to linger in for long, in case someone you know might see you comparing Ex-lax extra strength to the generic brand. I am currently the owner of various creams and ointments, a sitz bath, and a squatty potty, just to name a few.  The more I think about it, the more I realize that I’ve turned my en suite into a nursing home.

The problem is that even though asking others for help or advice is fine – it doesn’t compare to the infinite knowledge that comes from Christ.  What happened after taking my mom’s advice was a night spent rolling around with painful cramps that resulted in nothing but some toots, and further strain on my nether region.

God asks us to turn to him with all our worries and anxieties.  He says we can cast all our cares on him.  But how often do we turn to someone else first?  Why is it that we ignore his requests and look to others around us for answers?  In my case, I only caused myself more discomfort.

There came a point where my lack of elimination was getting so uncomfortable and worrisome that I knew I needed to take drastic measures.  I drove to the pharmacy one more time, and humbled myself to the middle-aged male pharmacist, to whom I explained my entire situation.  If he saw any humour in it, he didn’t show it, and I commend him for what is likely a practiced poker face saved for that time when someone starts talking about their lack of regular poop and the mountain in their rear.

We stood in front of the constipation remedies, and he asked what kind of time frame I was hoping for.  Days? Hours?  Or minutes?  I said, “minutes”.  He pointed out a box, and said, “Then this is your option”.

There are defining moments in every person’s life, and one of them is very much the moment when you have locked yourself in your bathroom and begin the process of reading the instructions on how to give yourself an enema.  I trusted the pharmacist in his expertise, and knew that this was very likely going to be the answer.  I put aside my fears, and got it done.  And you know what?!  IT WORKED!  In a few short minutes my system had been redeemed, and I was on to nursing myself back to better bowel movements.

In the end I had to put my trust in the one who knew what he was doing – the pharmacist. 

This is the same for God – don’t wait to talk to him as your last resort.  Of course we all know that you may not be able to request an answer from him in minutes – but you never know!  He’s been through what you’ve been through!  He knows what you need, and he knows the perfect solution to your problem.  He may even lead you somewhere unexpected in the process.

I had to chuckle when I was taking a little break from writing this piece, and saw this quote come up on my Facebook feed:

This could not be more true.  Put God into everything, and watch things flow!  Call out to him, he hears you!  Ask him for help, he loves to give it.  Always look to him as your first responder, your first call, your first option.  You will never be sorry that you did.