Sunday, August 06, 2006

The scent of this Nitty.Gritty. woman.

I guess I have a thing for pleasant aromas. I could smother myself in any of the fruity/tasty flavors of body products from the lines at Jaqua.com. Those girls that run that product line could be my friends- just because you know they would always smell good when you're around them. SO, I picked up some more maple syrup body scrub, and now I think I have enough on hand so that I'll smell yummy for at least the next 6-9 months.
My other Nitty.Gritty. thoughts for today are such that you may think I am revisiting old topics again. But, in church, our pastors have been doing a series all summer on 'Hope in the Hard Times'. The messages have been about suffering. I have been so in tune with the speakers, as the steps in my life have taken me down the road of suffering of which they speak. In fact, Chip and I will be sharing some of our thoughts and experiences in church for the last Sunday of the series coming up on August 27th.
Today I realized that it was only 5 short years ago that I went to church with such pain and injuries that I had to be in a wheelchair. Because of muscle, nerve and tissue damage to my legs and back, I was in that wheelchair for 6 weeks. It felt like forever at the time, and now I realize that I sometimes forget that part of my story. If you had told me that morning in church, that my heart would dance and sing again someday, and that my legs would too, I would have laughed at you. Actually, I probably would have cried. Everything in my life hurt so bad. I think I would have cried at the thought of ever being happy or caring about anything in the world again.
Here I am, once again, five years later, and I am happy at the simple thought of getting maple syrup body scrub in the mail this week. I am glad that I have determined to find simple happiness in life again. I am glad that I have been surrounded by people and opprtunities that have helped me heal the unimaginable hurt in my life.
I am beginning to realize that I have a very good quality in life that I never knew I had before- it's that of being resilient. Nobody told that all the years I was growing up. I don't ever remember getting birthday cards that said, 'To a little girl whose sweet as ever. Hope you know you're getting more resilient each year. Love Grandma and Grandpa'. None of my teachers ever typed it on my report card under the area for notes. They usually wrote, 'Uses time wisely, or consistently puts forth good effort.' I never saw resilient. Until now. I guess it's taken time and events to shape this character in me. I must say, I'm not sure if it has come from my family genes, my supportive husband, family and friends, or from God. Probably it is a cobination of all three.
Whatever it may be, I hope that it rubs off on the people I meet in life and that it leaves a pleasant 'aroma' with them for a long time.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just have to ask this after reading your blog for a while now. Did you need to take anti-depressants and/or be in any kind of post-trauma therapy? I hope that this isn't too personal to ask but I know some people need that to enable them to get a leg up again to carrying on with their lives.

Shawnna Samples said...

SMELLS SWEET

Anonymous said...

Jody, I posted on another one of your blog entries...

There is just something about you that is captivating. I can't put my finger on it. All I know is that if anyone deserves to win SOY...it would be you. I wish that we could vote...because you'd definitely get mine.

God bless and good luck in the competition. Stay true to yourself. You're already a winner!

Anonymous said...

something about resiliency...it's not really ever taught but check out www.search-institute.org and read up on the 40 Developmental Assets.

I am sure this will show you that you got it somewhere :)

It's valuable resource for all of us.

Enjoy that maple goodness!

Janna said...

Do you mean http://www.jaquabeauty.com/?

Laura Williams said...

oh my gosh, how about PINK BUTTERCREAM FROSTING, miss buttercream queen? It is temptingly delicious smelling. If only, if only if ONLY that lotion would taste as good as it smells!!!