I learned a painful lesson this week.
A lesson about the importance of balance and it came in an unexpected and unpleasant form.
Clostridium difficile(C-Diff)
Amazingly, few people have ever heard of this condition (myself included), but over half a million Americans will be diagnosed with it, and approximately 20,000 will die from it this year.
In short, C-Diff is a deadly toxic bacterium that invades your colon as a dominating army bent on taking over your life.
It is a dirty business that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy; as it leaves you humbled, weak, hurting, fearful, depressed and a recluse.
The bathroom becomes a prison all because of an imbalance.
An imbalance of good versus evil; wherein the harmful bacteria have overrun the good, and the consequences are damaging.
I'm sharing this lesson so that others can learn two things from my experience:
1) The significance of balance and;
2) Awareness of C-diff and the importance of exercising precautions when taking antibiotics.
(Learn more here: https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-c-diff#transmission)
OK, enough of the nasty bacteria and onto the silver-lining…..
Yes, I believe there is a silver lining because I’m learning a valuable lesson.
This invasion has forced me to stop and think about the importance of balance in every aspect of my life as an imbalance has consequences.
We gloss over so much in life that we don’t carefully contemplate how balance is so essential. Too much of anything can be toxic.
Consider the following (many are apparent :)
Too much food (overweight)
Too much alcohol or drugs (addiction)
Too much anxiety/stress (physical & mental health issues)
Too much exercise (injury)
Too much work (no play)
Too much play (no work)
Too much confidence (arrogance)
Too much power (tyranny)
Too much money (Yes, I said it- too much money can open a Pandora’s box of problems)
I’m confident you can add a few to this list!
There is only one thing in life that we can never have too much of and that is God, His love and His presence in our lives. (Luke 10:27)
For everything else, the Bible speaks clearly on the virtues of balance, moderation, and self-control and speaks specifically against excess. I love these reminders:
Proverbs 15:16- “Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.”
Luke 21:34 - “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.”
The key to a balanced life is being mindful to moderation and being willing to accept the good with the bad because both elements are needed for achieving stability in life.
Consider- how do you know happiness if you’ve never been unhappy?
When we allow portions of our life to become unbalanced, our life becomes skewed, and we waste valuable time unknowingly struggling for equilibrium!
Don’t live life lop-sided; balance in all things really is best.
I’m working on my balance- how about you?
Father, thank you that you are the source of all knowledge, wisdom and strength. You always want what is best for us and a balanced life is just that. Help us Lord, to evaluate our lives in such a way that imbalance becomes obvious. Give us the desire, ability and strength to exercise balance in our lives and when we have completely toppled over, lift us and set us on balanced ground.
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
~ 2 Timothy 1:7