*insert captivating title here*

* from Instagram, "I've had a nice fall this week." *

Hello blog readers!

I hope that this post finds you well; with either some form of entertainment, or an eye/heart-opening perspective on who God is and what He may be doing in your lives. Here is a bit of what God has done in my life, and has taught me within this past week.

*Warning: graphic image included in this post*

Early on in the week, I was hit with an awful sore throat and cough out of nowhere. I am typically a healthy individual, so getting sick always catches me off guard. Thankfully, it did not last long. Even more thankfully, I had peers in my PT program who brought me magical medicine! It brought tears to my eyes because people who have not known me for very long, have extended helpful hands to me in a time of great need. Two days later, my cough was much looser and my voice began to return. If I said that my energy and motivation were lacking, that would be an understatement. Relying on the strength of the Lord was the only way I made it through the week.

The workload this week was no different than any other week, but it has grown significantly more difficult to manage my time. I, just like many others, I'm sure, do not know how to make the most of the 24 hours we have in a day. I have read and studied the value of 24-hour days, and how God purposely designed it to be just as such. Therefore, adding more hours in a day would actually do us harm, not good, because we would find a way to fill up those hours with the same things we do now. Thus, finding the time and space to do everything I need and desire to do, has been and continues to be a priority of mine. This is hard. If you find yourself in a similar situation, let me remind you (as God has graciously reminded me), He is the Author of time.

Join with me, committing to pray for how to best give back the time to God that He has given to us. This will not be easy, but removing something from our control is never easy. Instead, it is humbling. I will admit, I need to be humbled in what I think I control --on a daily basis to be honest.

Later in the week, I had a severe bicycle accident on my way home from classes. I was devastated with the damage done to my skin and yet, was more concerned about my bike. However, please note that I am okay. The injuries are not nearly as bad as they could have/should have been. Thank you Lord!

I wish I had this amazing, thrilling, heroic story, but unfortunately, all I have is that the sun got into my eyes as I attempted to take my bike up a ramp, getting the tire stuck between the grass and sidewalk. I bit the dust, slide a couple of feet on my right side along the sidewalk, and somehow, in all of that, still managed to avoid fallig into the busy road I live on.

If you tuned into last week's blog post, you might be laughing in regards to my casting (on my right arm) for PT school, and how ironic it is that a week later, I legitimately injured my right side. I mean, I laughed, because as I seek positivity in all of this, I am thankful that as frustrating and difficult as it was to wear that arm cast for 48 hours last week, I truly believe it prepared me for this bicycle accident. Sure, I am not in an arm cast, nor do I need one, but it is extremely difficult to use my right upper limb at the moment. Therefore, to an extent, I am not able to use it for occupational type functions: doing my hair, fixing meals, getting dressed, etc. Not to mention, bathing is quite painful, as tending to the scraps is extremely sensitive.

Yet, even after stating all of this, I am able to now be even more thankful for the opportunity to empathize with possible future patients of mine, like the casting showed me last week. I know this could have easily gotten me down, especially after being overwhelmed with studying, being sick earlier this week, and now injuring myself, but God is so good. He kept me. My accident could have been much worse. My injuries could have been much more severe. BUT GOD protected me, I believe that with all that I am.

I can actually laugh about being in cast last week, and having real injuries this week. That is not normal for Bethany. Why do I mention this? Well, like the themes you will read in and throughout my blog, I am striving to be a better me each and every day. I believe God turned this situation around for my good, where the adversary intended it for my bad. I declare that the adversary is not getting control over this situation. Not at all. I have victory in Christ. I refuse to let a cold, studies, lack of rest, and a bike accident get me down.

Will I continue to ride? --of course! I love my bike, and I have loved not having a car since moving here. Naturally, I have some hesitations as I move forward with riding, but where I stand confidently now more that ever before, is that I know how to ride a bit safer having made these mistakes. There is beauty in falling-- in all senses of the word. Here comes my spiritual parallel :) God showed me that when I fell, He was there. No one came to physically pick me up, but He picked me up. God also showed me that falling allows you to gain battle wounds. Yes, gain. These (if you choose) allow you to reflect back on what you came through, what God carried you through, and remain thankful, always. I never want to forget this accident because it vividly shows God's handprint on my life. I have MANY of these moments throughout my life to look back on, and while I did not understand their purposes in the moment, I boast in my Lord and Savior. Battle wounds point back to the ultimate Fighter on my side. Laws of gravity say I should have landed on the road--not the sidewalk, had severe head injuries--not minor scrapes, broken bones--not minor aching...so, again I say, I will boast in my Lord and Savior! HE IS GOOD!

I hope you readers are grasping this one thing, if nothing else from this post; God will use ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to teach you a bigger lesson if you simply allow Him. The adversary intended to not only get me down, but keep me down, and I am telling you that I am up, praising God with tears of joy, and ready to share about His healing and goodness!

While process healing is slow and still taking place in the physical sense, I want to be vulnerable in that healing is still taking place in the emotional aspect of my life as well. Being sick and injured this week reminded me of how lonely I feel. Yes, I have just explained how thankful I am for God's presence in my midst, but in my lack of knowing how just to take care of myself in these instances, dwelling on my singleness has become more prominent this week. No, I am not looking for a relationship to fulfill me, but to be completely vulnerable, I desire to be in relationship with godly man. The change in weather also adds to my loneliness, because all I want to do is cuddle and drink hot coffee with him(only the Lord knows who he is). So, I think this is my in-directive way (now direct) way of asking for prayer. Yet, I am not sure what for? --fulfillment in Christ? patience for a godly man? trust in God's timing? His Will? ...eh, I don't know.

Update on #smileamile movement:

I have been doing a lot of walking to and fro, just to simply soak in all of the warm weather that is left of this season; and in doing so, I have stuck with giving a smile to everyone I encounter. I wish I counted the number of smiles vs. "why are you smiling at me?" looks I got, so perhaps that will be this upcoming week's challenge to myself haha. This has only solidified my reasonings of wanting to start this movement. People do not know how to take a smile! --that is crazy to me! I can only imagine what will happen next when I add words to my smiles! (as of right now, I alternate asking "how are you?" to every other person, or every few because sometimes there is a crowd of people, and that would get awfully broken-recordish). Nonetheless, if you have not already, join me in brightening up your little circle of the big world around you by smiling at everyone you come across, regardless of how awkward, uncomfortable, or tough it may be. I would love to hear your stories!

To encourage you, this week, one individual I smiled at when walking to Chipotle not only smiled back, but after I got a few feet past them, complimented the jacket I was wearing. I then turned around, walked back towards him and said, "Thank you! I appreciate that! Have a wonderful rest of your day." This man, was coming out of the laundry mat, rode a bike, and appeared to have much else on his mind apart from complimenting a lady like myself. Yet, I tell you, one little smile can go a long way. I may not have much to offer to my community financially, but I give what I do have, and that is my smile--the joy of the Lord inside me. This man, turned my rainy day (and to lack of his knowledge, frustration of not having a rain coat) into a great day. When I tell you God has a sense of humor, I mean it. He decided to use this man, to turn my negative attitude about making due with the lightest/most water-resistant winter coat I have, as a substitute raincoat, and decided to place him directly in my path to compliment the very thing that frustrated me! I am telling you! --watch out, God is trying to teach you something...all the time! Little did I know, that my smile would ricochet back to end up blessing me. #smileamile is not about you being the one to get blessed, but when that happens, (because it will) be sure to remain thankful :)

This turned out to be a much gloomier post than I originally intended, to which I apologize. I do hope that something was inspiring, or helpful, though. As always thank you for reading and supporting me from near or afar. Peace.