The Ups and Downs of Spring

(ROCKWALL, TX — March 25, 2019) Red, watering eyes, sneezing, misery, the fog of antihistamines…does any of this sound familiar? All that beautiful yellow fluff flying through the air, covering our deck is causing such misery for the one I share a house with. Bless him. Our inclination is to open up the house and let the lovely breezes blow through. Or lacing up our shoes for a long walk to the park seems like the perfect thing to do, but the eyes are swollen shut and it’s difficult to carry a whole box of tissues under your arm. Like folks who walk their dogs responsibly carrying that plastic bag with them, we’ll have to do the same…just to hold all the used tissues. I suggested wearing one of those little masks, but his response was, “People will think I’m taking chemotherapy or immune-suppressed.” My disrespectful response was, “Who cares?” I got the look. You know the look. You’ve gotten it and given it!

Spring has sprung! Like fall, we have about 30 minutes of spring. You have to take the good with the bad. The time change persists with its side effects. Needing the heater running in the morning and the air conditioner in the afternoon, keeps you in constant flux temperature-wise. As a matter of fact, our bedroom window is open eight inches, but the heater hummed away this morning. I let it go.

Most of life has good and bad aspects. Flu shots hurt, often sharing with you a few days of feeling like you have the flu, but you have the benefits of the serum when you are exposed to those particular strains. I’m very sore after exercising a new muscle group, but doing that over several weeks pays off with greater strength and stamina overall. So, while the pollen causes suffering for a season, the cool, clear days and colors of spring bring great joy.

The unknown author of Hebrews reminds us that, “All discipline seems NOT to be joyful, but sorrowful, but for those who are being trained by it, it produces THE PEACEFUL FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Another writer encourages us to allow endurance to have its complete result so that we may be complete, lacking in nothing.

That encourages me to offer him another antihistamine and eye drops… including a new box of tissues. The rain is coming. Hopefully some of the pollen will be washed away, bringing blessed symptom relief. Gratefully one of the greatest quotes in Scripture is… it came to pass. Therefore, we joyfully endure. That’s an encouraging word. Bless.

By Paula Lively. Paula is a Volunteer Chaplain at Broadmoor Medical Lodge in Rockwall. She is a VERY retired RN who loves serving the residents at Broadmoor. She and her husband, Fred, have lived in Rockwall for 15 years.

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