Cops, Chaplains & Cabbage

You know why I love life? You just don't know what the day will bring your way. If my front door could talk or write, well let's just say there would be stories galore. My foyer has seen more than it's share of writable stories. It makes me wonder if I am the exception or if everyone else has such a wide variety of people shadowing their front door step? Perhaps it is the characters that call this house a home that seems to draw the variety of visitors we seem to attract. I'm not sure, but I can tell you that when you open the inside door, you just never know who or what you will come face to face with. You just know that the dogs will bark, the cats will scatter, and the kids will run upstairs hoping that one of their friends have come to visit or to invite them onto another realm if only for awhile.

I,on the other hand,am not usually anxious to answer the door. Visitors are usually few and far between. Today was no exception as my oldest grandson stepped over one dog while scooping up the other. "Gramma", he shouted, "it's Miss Peg." I kind of grimaced. Not that I don't like my neighbor, she is a wonderful lady. She is always coming over to bring tomatoes, apples, things the boys might like. I can always count on her friendly, giving ways to brighten my day. Today was no exception! In Peg walked with the biggest cabbage that I had ever seen in my life. "Oh my God!, I cried. Peg, where did you get that?" "In my garden!" She proudly admitted. "What! I've never, ever seen a cabbage that huge!" This thing is as large as a pumpkin. It had to have weighed a good twenty pounds. I scrambled to make a spot nearby that would be large enough to accommodate this big, green mass. "Hope you like cabbage!" I thanked her and assured her that although I knew just what I would do with the veggie, sharing it would probably be something that I would certainly be doing. I envisioned ALL the neighbors cooking cabbage for dinner within the next few nights.

As we were cutting the cabbage in neighborly portions, another knock at the door started the dogs a yapping. "Not again!" I wheeled myself through the cats, brushed the dog from the door and was ready for anything but this. A squad car at my curb and a policeman at my screen door.

"Yes," I gingerly asked. My mind raced to search the whereabouts of my family. Kids? In the basement and all accounted for. Husband, distributing masses of cabbage to neighbors. Daughter, working and had just been called for the third time by youngest son to go in a friend's pool. All safe and sound! "Good morning, Officer, what can I do for you today?" He was standing on my stoop straight, tall and handsome. I'd seen him often, riding around the neighborhood in his squad car."Hi, Lynne. Do you have a cat?" I had to think about that one! "Yes, of course, I have a cat." I thought about spilling my gut and begging him to take one or two off my hands but thought better of it. "Well, it seems that we have received a complaint about your cats roaming the common grounds. Elwood has a cat leash law. You must keep your cats in or on a leash." The cop sort of gave me a sheepish look. It was as if he knew that was next to impossible with all the people coming and going out the door, patio doors and garage. "Yes, Officer, I will do my best". With that Corey, my dog slid out the front door and gave the Officer the royal welcome. "Oh, Officer, I always keep my dog confined, too!"

Things gradually went back to normal. I put the cabbage on to boil, the cats were all napping on their favorite blankets and I was rather worried how I would ever juggle the life that I was living. Things seemed to always be in a turmoil at our house. I thought about telling the cats that they couldn't ever go out to play in the grass again; but decided to let them dream on. I'd wait till after supper. When a knock at the door once again stopped me in my tracks."Oh,no! Did a cat get out past the guard already? I crawled to the door to find my daughter's Pastor. "Wow, am I glad to see you", I said. He looked at me quite puzzled. I didn't even explain myself to him. "I just stopped in to see Kerry and the boys. I missed them in church this morning." "Well come right in," I replied. "I will get them for you." I was quite impressed that their Pastor would take his time out to go looking for his lost sheep. "By the way, Pastor, would you like some cabbage?"

BREAKING THE CHAINS...

It had been 17 long years. I didn't even try to hide it. My family and friends knew that I took pain medication. After all, I had reason. I was in constant pain. After breaking my right hip years ago and having numerous other arthritic conditions including compressed discs in my neck; I was given hydrocodiene to help subside the pain and help me function day to day. My doctor was diligent about controlling the amount of medication I took and I took them three times per day religiously. I figured, why wait until your hurting? It just made more sense to me to take it on schedule and avoid the pain as much as possible. So for a good part of my life, I never left home without 'em.

I could tell when four to four and a half hours had passed because #1 I would start to hurt and #2 I would become apprehensive. I'm telling you this for one reason only. I want to tell you that even though I had an addiction which was controlling my life; it was medication that was prescribed to me and that I never, ever abused it. Yet, now that I have stopped taking it with the help of a little self-control and a whole lot of help from God; I want to let others know that they too can admit to their shortcomings and stop those addictions that are in their lives. It isn't easy and can actually be quite embarrassing to talk about one's addictions. It is something that I am not proud of, but if it can help someone else to stop a destructive behavior, then it is truly worth telling. Just helping someone with what I have experienced, makes my life worth living.

I've never been someone to shirk my responsibilities. So from the very beginning I thought that I could stay on top of the medication down sides and use my intelligence to overcome whatever pitfalls that I might encounter. When I began to take four tablets per day instead of three, trouble ensued. I began running out of my medication at a faster rate. This was not a good feeling. The stress of "What to do?" "How do I approach my doctor?" kept me up at night. It also put a burden on those around me. Jerry, my husband, always kept an eye on all my medications, keeping them up to date and in sufficient supply. So when I began to use more and had less long before I should have, he felt responsible to "fix" it. It became a dilemma that gave me a terrible feeling of hopelessness. I felt captive to something that I knew my body craved and the situation honestly devoured my thoughts day and night.

Now enters the "Big Guy!" Two weeks ago, the dilemma occurred once again. I was OUT! Panic stricken, I considered my options. I could maybe borrow from friends, only to have to repay. I could call my doctor and explain the situation (again); or I could stop this merry-go-round and get off! No small task. I had read that the withdrawal symptoms were rough. I realized that after taking pain meds for all these years; it wouldn't be easy to stop taking them. There had been times in the past that I had tried putting up with the withdrawal symptoms before just to later give up. I had tried a few times to stop and had not succeeded. The pain, the vomiting, the severe headaches; I had experienced all of it several times before. My doctor suggested weening myself instead of just stopping the drug. I didn't want a quick fix or a temporary solution. I wanted this whole scenario to come to a stop. I wanted to be done with it and I knew that I could not do this by myself.

Enter God! The day I realized that I was OUT, I got on my knees and begged the Lord to deliver me. My God does miraculous things in people's lives. I knew in my heart that He was more than able to deliver me, no matter how long I had been taking them. As I prayed, I also knew that He would ask several things from me in return. He would ask me to muster up as much self-control that I could possess. He would also deserve all the credit and He knew that I would insist that He receive all the glory.

That was exactly two weeks ago. I have been not only relatively pain free, but have not had any side effects or withdrawal symptoms. In God's Hands I have put my addiction and through God's Goodness I have been set free. The chains have been broken and I no longer watch the clock to see "If it's possibly time yet?". There is also a bonus to this recovery. Hydrocodiene is a downer and relaxes the muscles. While taking it, I noticed that I would be unable to speak because of the relaxation that it caused my muscles. I had always told everyone that if I could choose my healing, that it would be my speech that I would want improved. I want so badly to be able to not only witness about Jesus Christ; but to also testify to the great things that He has done in my life. Now, I am able to speak much easier and clearer.

So as I reread this Blog, I have to wonder what the reader will think of me. It was something that had to be written because all the Glory goes to my God. I want everyone to feel that no matter what you might be facing, you don't have to face it alone. I'm hoping that you, my reader, will realize that we all struggle with situations in life. We all fall into bad habits, addictions, and ruts of everyday setbacks. There is never a point where God is not willing to see us through. Ask and it shall be given unto you.

Chains can be broken and new life can be had.