Still Living The Life Of A Zebra!

Once again I'm borrowing a post from the past, BUT it was VERY APPROPRIATE for the happenings of this past week that I felt led to share it once again, and besides there was NO WAY I could write a new post!

In this post you'll be reading about a doctor's appointment which took place well over one year ago, BUT, I was told the very same thing in a roundabout way just last week when I found myself sitting in a doctor's office for a completely different issue!

Once again

I was referred

to as

AN ANOMALY!

A ZEBRA!

You may be thinking,
"Barb, what are you talking about?"

Well, reading the rest of the post will answer that question!

So here we go with the original post published on March 15, 2017!

Okay to start things off for today, I have a very simple question for you.

If you could become any animal which one would you choose?

I know ones right off the top of my head which I definitely would have NO desire to become!

A slimy, slithering, scary snake!

A vampire bat! Just the thought of that gives me the creeps!

A warthog! That is one of the most ugliest animals God ever created!

Okay, so what are some of the animals I would choose to become?

A brave, bold, roaring lion!

A service dog which would aid a blind person, someone with a disability or a handicap.

A tiger! They have the most beautiful, vibrant colored skins. An interesting fact I found on tigers, "Every tiger in the world is unique. No two tigers have the same pattern of stripes."

That's our 

AWESOME

God!

What about a zebra?

I was told recently by my doctor that I AM a zebra!

Let me explain!

I recently had a doctor's appointment. However, they hired a new Physician's Assistant (PA) since I last visited this particular practice.   

I knew I would be seeing the new PA, so of course my mind was in a bit of a tizzy asking myself questions like,

"Will she be nice?"

"Will she understand my chronic illness?"

"Will she take the time to get to know me or will I just be another number to her?"

I've seen enough doctors over the years to know all doctors are NOT the same.

Some are understanding and take time to really get to know you and they LISTEN.

But some just brush you aside and act like you're taking up their precious time especially when you're a difficult case like myself!

I actually had a doctor in the past tell me that I was cutting into his lunch hour!

EXCUSE ME??!!

So I had no idea what to expect when the door to the exam room swung open.

But much to my relief, she was a fabulous doctor! 

As I was getting to know her, I told her many of my doctors in the past have labeled me as an anomaly.

The definition of anomaly,
"An odd, peculiar, or strange condition, situation, quality."
Synonyms include: oddity, peculiarity, abnormality, rarity, quirk!

Not a very flattering description, is it? 

As soon as I mentioned being labeled as an anomaly, she immediately responded and told me that I was like a zebra!

I had NO earthly idea what she meant!

She went on to explain that in medical school she was taught most patients will be normal like horses.

A horse will be a healthy patient who may get sick every now and again, but they respond well to treatment and fully recover. They live a "normal" healthy life.

But every now and again, you'll get a patient who won't fit the mold. No matter what you do or try, they won't respond to any medications or treatments. They just don't get better. You literally run out of treatment options. They are known as zebras!

WOW!

I REALLY prefer being called a zebra MUCH better than being referred to as an anomaly! 

So here's the $100,000 question!

Why do some people get to live as a strong, vibrant, healthy horse, while others must live as a zebra coping with life-altering, painful symptoms on a daily, hourly, moment by moment basis?

My answer?

I DON'T

KNOW!

Wait, I DO have an answer to that question.

Because it's

God's choice.

He is God.

He can do

whatever

He chooses

to do!

So if I had MY choice would I choose to be a horse or a zebra?

Well, I think the answer to that question is quite obvious!

Of course I would choose to be a horse! Who in their right mind would ever choose to be ill?

But it's NOT my choice and since God, in His sovereignty, has chosen for me to be a zebra, then it's up to me to be the very best zebra I possibly can be for the Lord and for others.

Granted, I can't do the things a strong, vibrant, healthy horse can do such as, teach a Sunday School Class, make a meal and invite friends over for dinner, work in our church nursery, bake goodies for shut-ins, work as the church secretary (which I did right before I became ill)

So as

a zebra

what CAN

I do

for the Lord

and

for others?

I can pray for all those who are doing the work of the horses or pray for other zebras, even if it's a super bad day and I must do my praying in my bed or sitting on my couch in my jammies with my feet propped up!

I can send cards to those who are doing the work of the horses or send cards to other zebras.

I can send a text message of encouragement to those who are doing the work of the horses or send encouraging text messages to other zebras.

And

guess

what?

In the eyes of the Lord, the things which the horses do and the things which the zebras do have EXACTLY the same meaning as long as they are being done with an attitude of desiring to bring honor and glory to the Lord!

So if you're a stallion standing behind a pulpit teaching a Bible lesson to a room packed to overflowing with people or a zebra laying in bed alone in the dark beseeching the Lord on behalf of others, the Lord DOES take notice and counts both labors of service of equal importance!

A final word

to

any zebra

who

may be

reading this.

Is it always as easy to live the life of a zebra as I may have portrayed it to be in this post?

ABSOLUTELY

NOT!

Days of utter darkness

Days of unending tears

Days of horrendous, unrelenting pain

Days of heart wrenching loneliness

Days when all you long for is to be a strong, vibrant, healthy horse.

Oh, zebra,

hang on,

better days

ARE

coming!

For if you know Christ as your Saviour, this world and all its pain and suffering, is but a stepping stone to a MUCH BETTER home in Heaven.

When the days are long and lonely and the nights are filled with pain and fear, always remember to hold fast to your First Love because He is definitely holding fast to you.

 

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May God Bless You,

Barb