What are you willing to give up for the sake of your life?

 On tv commercials for 'insert the drug here,' the narrator will quickly go through all of the side effects if you take that medication. I've never heard of side effects like will have more energy, will win the lottery, will lose healthy weight, etc., etc. Some side effects we can live with for the short term, while others may cause extreme difficulties. We must weigh the pros and cons of the medication with its benefits versus the side effects.

As a human guinea pig, I've been through the trials and tribulations of finding the right medication to slow down the loss of my vision. One medication had over 30 possible side effects, 12 of which I had. I could not live with those, so the doctor changed the medication to a different immunosuppressant. I know doctors hate when we 'google' information about a condition or medication; however, we need to be advocates for ourselves. When you 'google' your medical condition or medication, go to the Mayo Clinic for the most accurate information, not "Bob's House of Illnesses."

I knew the side effects of the new medication could be nausea, weight loss, hair loss, headaches, and dizziness. I was actually hoping for the weight loss since the last medication caused weight gain. I have the headaches and dizziness, which aren't so bad. I thought I would be ok with the hair loss (lie). I started looking up how to wear scarves to cover baldness and even tried to shop for the scarves in stores (no success there). 

I told myself that losing my hair would be fine, no problems; it's just hair. If we get a bad haircut, we tell ourselves not to worry because it will grow back. But, when the medication we are taking will keep our hair from growing and will cause it to disappear, that is a very different feeling.

In 2022, I started growing my hair back long after having short to medium hair for 30 years. As I looked in the mirror over the last few weeks, I noticed a lot of missing hair on top, enough that it was noticeable to this visually impaired person, which also meant others have seen it too. I decided to get it cut in a way that would help, hopefully, disguise the oncoming baldness. The young lady did a good job, but I didn't realize how emotional I would be during the process or afterwards. 

For women, we've always been told that our hair is our 'crowning glory.' There are tons of magazines devoted to the perfect hairstyle. Yet, when our hair is gone, where's the glory then?

After I left the salon, I wandered around Dollar General unfocused on what I needed to get there. Next, I walked to the supermarket with my packages. Since my friend had dropped me off at the salon, and my husband would be picking me up after work, I just transferred my DG packages to a different buggy and went in the supermarket.

I needed to pick up things for dinner, but for the life of me, I could not focus. All I could think of was that my hair was gone and wouldn't be coming back. No variations of styling my long hair. No ponytails. No buns. I had bought so many different hairclips, now useless.

Look out: pity party ahead....

I got through cooking dinner and sat in the living room with my emotional support team, the dogs. I was trying not to cry. I told my brother about my day, and he said wear 'doo rags.' I told him I was looking for some. I told my daughter, and she wanted a picture, but I just couldn't send one yet (still in pity party mode).

During the 'party,' a still, small voice came to me and said, "You're giving up your hair to save your sight. It's going to be ok."

All through the day, today's title has been on my mind. Let's make this more personal:

What am I willing to give up for the sake of my life? What am I willing to give up for the sake of my health? What am I willing to give up for the sake of my family? What am I willing to give up for the sake of my soul?

Often, we may say we would stop (insert addiction or negative behavior here) for whatever reason at the time. Did we really mean it? Another thought came to me....when we see our family and friends changing their behaviors or appearances, we should make positive comments instead of negative. No: OMG, what did you do to your hair?!? No: Don't you want a beer? Can't believe you aren't drinking one.

How we react to others in their fight against addiction, illness, or difficult times can help them in the struggle or cause them more pain and suffering.

The last question from above is the most important. We only have one soul. There is no replacing it like we can with a heart, liver, lungs, or hair. There is only one way to nourish our souls, to take care of our souls. Put them in the care of Jesus Christ. Once we have accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord, we should do everything possible to live according to His Word. To listen to the Holy Spirit guide us daily. The more we do, the more often we hear the quiet voice. 

Psalm 107:9 "For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things."

Matthew 16:26 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?"

Accepting Christ is not fire insurance or a get-out-of-hell-free card. It's a change in life and lifestyle. If you've accepted Christ as your Savior in the past, how is your relationship with Him? Is there any difference between how you were living before Christ and after Christ? Do you want there to be a difference? Only you can be honest with yourself about that. 

Romans 10:9-10 "...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. for with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."

Some people say they'll have a relationship with Christ when they get older. We do not have an expiration date stamped on our bodies that we can see. Some make it to 100 years old and others to 10. We are not promised tomorrow. We aren't even promised the next 15 minutes.

So...what are you willing to give up for the sake of your eternal life? Pride, Power, Selfish Desires, Greed (the list can go on and on). 

I don't know what I would do without my relationship with Christ. I would not be handling my condition and side effects very well or at all. I know that even in my pity parties and crying jags, He is with me, holding me up. There is nothing like that kind of feeling. I pray you experience it one day if you haven't already.

Thanks for reading,

PB