Cleaning Negativity Out Of Your Life!

While talking to a friend this week that has just been diagnosed with MS, I advised her to shut out negative speakers and get rid of any doctors that were speaking the words you can't or you will never. She wanted to know about my experience and how I've handled it. I told her I was a living example of calling things that are not as though they were. (Romans 4:17)

My first neurologist was a strong negative speaker. I had lost the feeling of one side of my body, my entire head and throat. At this point I couldn't do anything without help. Not even go to the bathroom. It was probably one of the lowest times in my life. With children ages 1, 2, & 4 at the time, now my husband had a 4^th  child to take care of. My doctor had used the words can't and never a lot! A few things I would never do again according to him..........drive, walk without assistance, or go back to doing hair. He wanted to hook me up with a lawyer to help me file for disability. He said the sooner I accepted what I couldn't do anymore, the easier it would be.

By Easter Sunday 2003, I had gotten a little of the feeling back but according to the doctor I had passed the point of getting anything else back. It was Easter Sunday and at the church we were going to at the time, they did your typical Easter play that morning. The closer to the resurrection it got, the angrier I got. Steve at one point ask me if I was OK. I think I barked back some short answer. I was sitting there being reminded of what Jesus had done for me! My gosh, He died on the cross for me and I'm sitting here in an extremely pitiful state! I kept hearing the song, Trading my Sorrows in my head!

I'm trading my sorrows I'm trading my shame I'm laying them down For the joy of the Lord I'm trading my sickness I'm trading my pain I'm laying them down For the joy of the Lord Singing Yes, Lord, Yes Lord Yes, Yes Lord[ Yes Lord, Yes Lord Yes, Yes Lord Yes Lord, Yes Lord Yes, Yes Lord Amen I'm trading my wealth I'm trading my pain I'm laying them down To the Joy of the Lord.

By the time the sun went down that Easter Sunday, I had regained everything I had lost!

Now it wasn't easy. I will never forget that 1^st haircut I did after that. I cut Anna's bangs in our front yard. It was very hard. It took me about 15 minutes to do what normally would have taken my under 5. It was painful and I was brought to tears with the frustration I was feeling. But I didn't quit!

Eventually, I went back to driving, walking normal, and doing hair again. It was after that in 2006 that I opened my own beauty shop. I've had hard times since then where I've lost this function or that. I've fought some battles, but I've never quit or lost faith. And I did change to a neurologist that has a positive never quit attitude.

Whatever your battle is, never lose faith, never give up, and get rid of any little negative birds that are in your ear!

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

Love, Julie Powell