One More Thing to Deal With — one more reason to trust God

As I sit down to write this, I’m feeling a little frustrated. Not about anything major — at least not by the world’s standards — but rather something that’s become a consistent irritation in my daily life lately.

I’ve mentioned before that I use a circular patch behind my ear every 72 hours. (previous post My Daily Bread - what not swallowing means) It’s called a scopolamine patch, and while it’s commonly prescribed to prevent motion sickness, I use it for something different. For me, this patch helps regulate saliva production — something many people never have to think about, but something I have to manage every single day.

Because of my injuries and the complications that followed, my body doesn’t always do what it’s supposed to. One of those things is controlling how much saliva I produce. Without the patch, it can become overwhelming — uncomfortable, distracting, and even unsafe if it interferes with my breathing or triggers other issues. So, the patch has been a small but crucial part of helping me function more comfortably and confidently.

It had been working beautifully for a long time. I was using a specific brand through my pharmacy, and it stuck well for the full 72 hours like it was supposed to. It had a thick, oil-based adhesive that stayed put no matter what. But recently, the pharmacy could no longer get that brand, and without much warning, I was switched to another version.

That’s when the trouble started.

This new brand doesn’t stay on. Sometimes it barely makes it 24 hours before peeling off. I’ve tried using adhesive spray to make it stick better, but honestly, I’m not sure it’s helping at all. I find myself constantly checking behind my ear, adjusting, replacing, and reapplying the patch. It’s become one more thing to manage — and on some days, it feels like too much.

I did look into switching back to the brand that worked, but it would mean paying out of pocket, and unfortunately, that’s just not realistic. As frustrating as it is, it’s cheaper to go through more of the less-effective patches than to pay for the “good” ones. So I’m trying to make it work — even if “making it work” sometimes means dealing with uncertainty and discomfort.

And maybe that’s what’s really getting to me.

When you live with chronic medical needs, nothing ever feels truly easy. Something as simple as a sticker behind the ear — something most people would never notice — can become a central part of your day. And when that “simple” thing stops doing its job, everything else feels harder, too.

I know God is still faithful. I know He sees me. I know this is just one more thing I can hand over to Him. But still — it’s okay to say this is hard. It doesn’t make me weak. It just makes me honest.

December 2009

Mindset Matters More Than We Think

I’ll admit — I’ve been feeling kind of blah lately. Not mean, not rude, not bitter. Just off. My energy has felt flat, and I haven’t been as upbeat or motivated as I usually try to be. At first, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but now that I think about it, maybe it has something to do with this extra issue I’m currently dealing with — the patch situation I talked about earlier.

Isn’t it funny how small things can wear us down over time? It’s not always the big storms that knock us over. Sometimes it’s the constant drizzle, the little things that stack up when we’re already stretched thin. I know I shouldn’t let my physical challenges affect my emotional or spiritual outlook — but as humans, it happens. We are not just bodies; we are minds and hearts, too.

So today, I want to remind you and myself that it’s important to rise above the weight of these everyday struggles. It doesn’t mean ignoring what’s hard or pretending it doesn’t hurt. But it does mean choosing not to let those things have the final word over our attitude.

There’s an old saying: “Your attitude is 99% of the battle.” And honestly? I believe that’s true.

When I feel down or discouraged, I try to come back to what I know, not just what I feel. Feelings are real, but they’re not always true. They shift, change, and respond to circumstances. Truth is steady. Truth is where we anchor.

Here are a few verses that help me shift my mindset when I feel like I’m slipping:

“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

That doesn’t mean every day is easy. But it is a gift. Even the days that feel frustrating, repetitive, or heavy — He made this one, too. And we are invited to rejoice in it.

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2)

This reminds me that my focus matters. If I’m constantly looking at my problems, of course they’ll seem bigger than life. But if I lift my eyes to Him — to eternity — it helps me see everything with clearer, calmer perspective.

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)

Peace doesn’t come from everything going right. It comes from keeping my mind stayed — focused — on God. He is my steady place. My peace.

Encouraging Yourself in the Lord

There’s a quiet strength in those words: “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”  (1 Samuel 30:6) He didn’t wait for someone else to come speak life over him. He didn’t wait until things were going well. He didn’t have to be in a good place emotionally first. He simply chose to go to the Source — his God — and find encouragement right there, in the middle of the mess.

That’s where I’m at today. And maybe you are, too.

I don’t feel full of energy or inspiration. I don’t have all the answers. I’m not walking in victory today — not outwardly. But what I can do is what David did — encourage myself in the Lord.

That might look like:

• Reminding myself of what He’s already brought me through.
• Repeating His promises out loud, even if I don’t feel them yet.
• Singing or humming a hymn that lifts my spirit.
• Reading Scripture that renews my mind.
• Simply sitting in His presence and saying, “Lord, I need You.”

One of my go-to verses in moments like this is:

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” (Psalm 42:5)

That “yet” is everything. It says, “This might be hard right now — but it’s not the end.” I shall yet praise Him. My circumstances don’t get the last word. God does.

A Small But Mighty Victory

Sometimes the victory is just getting through the day without giving up. Sometimes it’s taking care of your body even when you’re tired. Sometimes it’s writing a blog post when your heart isn’t “feeling it,” but you press on because you know someone might need the words.

Sometimes our greatest spiritual battles aren’t dramatic — they’re subtle. They happen in the quiet frustrations. The daily disappointments. The routines that feel heavy. That’s when we need to press in. To pray. To speak truth over ourselves. To sing when we don’t feel like singing.

I’m reminding myself — and hopefully reminding you — that we don’t have to feel strong to be strong. We just have to lean on the One who is.

Today, I count writing this post as a victory. I didn’t feel like it. I was tired. I was frustrated. But I wrote anyway. I shared anyway. And through this process, I ended up encouraging myself in the Lord.

I cried reading my own words. Not out of sadness, but because they came from such a deep and honest place in my heart. They were what I needed to hear — and say.

Maybe someone else needs to hear them too. Maybe that someone is you.

Final Encouragement

If you’re dealing with something small that feels big, or something big that feels impossible, remember this: you’re not alone. God sees. He knows. And He’s not distant. In fact, He’s right beside you, ready to be your strength.

Take a moment today to encourage yourself in Him. Speak His promises out loud. Pray. Sing. Praise. Even if your voice shakes.

Because He’s worth it — and so are you.

"The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." (Psalm 34:18)

Keep going. Keep trusting. And keep looking up.

Be encouraged. 🧡

                                                   🎵 Listen to this Truth Crazy About You

Learning the Hard Way

The First Lockout – A Wake-Up Call

Recently, I had an early morning gym session and accidentally locked my single set of car keys inside my vehicle. The moment I walked into the gym, I realized my mistake. Every time I go to the gym, I scan a barcode on my keyring to check in. As I reached for my keys to scan, my heart dropped—I didn’t have them. My mind immediately flashed back to where I had left them: sitting right on the driver's seat. I had taken them out of the ignition and placed them there, as I always do, so they would be in my hand when I scanned them. But this time, I had stepped out and shut the door before grabbing them.

My initial thought was, You have got to be kidding me. I couldn’t believe it. I felt a mix of frustration and disbelief. How had I been so absentminded? But with nothing left to do, I pulled out my phone and contacted roadside assistance.

Thankfully, I had my roadside assistance app, so I requested a locksmith and waited for the tow truck driver to arrive. It took about an hour, but he was friendly and efficient, unlocking my car within minutes. Despite this mishap, I was hesitant to purchase a programmed key due to the high cost. So, I decided not to.

The Second Lockout – Learning the Hard Way

Fast forward six days. It was an evening like any other, and I was attending a church function, surrounded by familiar faces and warm conversations. Everything was going smoothly—until it was time to leave.

Getting things together, ready to head home, that’s when a sudden, sinking realization hit me. My keys were locked inside my car. Again.

I could almost hear my own frustrated sigh echoing in my head. Seriously? How could I have done this again—in less than a week? Just days ago, I had promised myself I’d be more careful. Yet, here I was, outside of my locked car, feeling a mix of disbelief and self-annoyance.

My church family was incredibly kind and understanding. They reassured me, saying things like, “Oh, don’t worry! This has happened to all of us at some point,” and “It’s no big deal—you’ll get it sorted out.” Their words were meant to encourage me, but I couldn’t help but feel frustrated with myself.

To them, it was just a minor inconvenience—something easily fixed. But to me? It was a glaring reminder that I had ignored an obvious solution. I had been too stubborn (or maybe just too hesitant) to get a spare key after the first incident, and now I was paying for it.

Once again, I pulled out my roadside assistance app, requested a locksmith, and settled in to wait. And as I stayed there, watching some folks drive off while I was stuck waiting for a tow truck, I kept thinking about how avoidable this situation had been.

By the time the locksmith arrived and popped the lock open, I was more than ready to be done with this lesson in patience. As I finally got behind the wheel and drove home, I made a firm decision: I am getting a spare key. No more excuses.

And this time, I actually followed through.

not my actual spare

Why I Hesitated to Get a Spare Key

Looking back, I’m not entirely sure why I was so hesitant to get a spare key made. I suppose, at the core of it, my hesitation came down to a few things—one of them being the financial aspect.

When I first looked into getting a spare, I had been quoted a ridiculous price for a programmed key. Spending that much money on something I might never actually need felt like a waste. That’s usually how things go—once you finally get the backup, you never end up using it. So, I convinced myself it wasn’t worth the cost.

But if I’m honest, maybe it wasn’t just about the money. Maybe I was also just brushing it off, thinking, Oh, this won’t happen again. Or maybe, deep down, I didn’t want to admit that I should have taken action sooner.

Whatever the reason, I had let my justifications keep me from making a simple, practical decision. And in doing so, I had unknowingly set myself up for another frustrating situation.

A Lesson from Naaman: Obedience in the Small Things

In the Bible, there’s a powerful account of Naaman, a wealthy and well-respected man who suffered from leprosy. Desperate for healing, he sought out the prophet Elisha and received a simple but unexpected instruction:

"Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean." (2 Kings 5:10)

The Jordan River was known to be filthy, and Naaman, in his pride, resisted at first. He had expected a grander, more dignified method of healing. But his servant wisely pointed out:

"My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?" (2 Kings 5:13)

Convicted, Naaman humbled himself, followed God’s instruction, and received complete healing:

"Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean." (2 Kings 5:14)

Applying Naaman’s Story to Everyday Life

That story made me think about how sometimes the solutions to our problems are much simpler than we make them out to be. Just the other day, I found myself in a frustrating situation that could easily be remedied—I just needed to get a spare key. It wasn’t complicated, it wasn’t too expensive, yet for some reason, I hesitated.

The Importance of Simple Obedience

And then it hit me: why do I resist the simple solutions God puts in front of me? Like Naaman, I sometimes expect a more complex or grand solution to a problem, when really, obedience in the small things is all that’s needed.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

God often works through simple, everyday steps, and when we choose to follow His guidance, even when it doesn’t make sense to us, we find the resolution we’ve been seeking.

So I got the spare key. Problem solved. (A simple, cheaper door only key).

"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22)

Resisting Simple Solutions

This whole situation got me thinking—how often do we, as people, resist the simplest solutions? How many times do we convince ourselves that we don’t need help, that we can handle things on our own, or that our way is better?

I realized that my hesitation over getting a spare key wasn’t just about the money. It was about my mindset. I thought I could avoid the inconvenience, that I wouldn’t need a backup, and that I could work around the problem if it ever came up again. But all I really did was make things harder for myself.

It’s the same in so many areas of life. We overcomplicate things, searching for bigger, more elaborate answers when, in reality, the simplest solution is right in front of us. We try to fix situations in our own way, delaying what could have been resolved much sooner—just like Naaman in the Bible. He wanted a grand healing, but all he had to do was obey a simple command.

How often do we do the same thing? How often do we resist the easy answer just because it doesn’t seem big enough or important enough? But God often works through small, straightforward steps. And when we choose to obey—even in the little things—we find the peace and provision we’ve been searching for all along.

So, whether it’s a spare key or a step of faith, let’s not resist the simple solutions God provides. Sometimes, the easiest answer is also the right one.

Have you ever learned a lesson the hard way? Let me know in the comments!

 Be encouraged. 🧡

                                            🎵Listen to these encouraging lyrics Fires