If you don’t rest, you will R.I.P

On Sunday, May 29, while at church, I had one of the most frightening experiences in my 46-year old lifetime. While leading service, I was addressing the congregation, when something quite strange happened. When I went to speak, my thoughts became a bit muddled, and for a few seconds, I forgot what I was supposed be saying. I quickly asked for help from the Holy Spirit to lead me so that I could communicate my thoughts. Being faithful as the Holy Spirit is, I was able to get through, as is the custom at Pleasant Green Baptist Church, we pause for fellowship time and take a few minutes to greet one another, “expeditiously,”( a PGBC inside joke).

My husband Mark, and sister Ellen Womack, who is a part of the medical staff at a local hospital, instantly came to the pulpit to see about me, and of course escorted me off of the platform, and into the church office to see what was going on with me. Not long after the incident, another one of the associate ministers, Joe Greene, took over the leading of the service, and my husband took me to Southern Ohio Medical Center. A Cat Scan, was performed on me, as well as lab work. The results were inclusive, and I was told to follow up with my family doctor, Kevin Kammler, whom I consider to be the best physician in our local area. Accordingly, I saw Dr. Kammler and nurse practitioner Jeff Ramey, who is nothing but excellent as well. The two coupled their knowledge and expertise, and concluded that I needed to have an MRI. Dr. Kammler said he wanted to make sure that I did not have a stroke, and that if so — that would change everything. I remember leaving their office with my husband feeling a bit in shock, a stroke? I said, “Lord, please don’t let it be so.

I thought to myself, how could this even be a possibility? I workout, I go to the doctor every six months to have my kidneys, liver, lungs, thyroid, good and bad cholesterol, triglycerides, etc. checked after having blood work done. A stroke? I prayed, my husband and family prayed, my church family prayed. The results came back, no stroke just extremely bad signs of sinuses. Needless to say, my heart was overjoyed, no stroke! Praise the Lord. However, the root of the problem had not been addressed yet. That day of May 29, the night before I had only had two and a half hours of sleep, then I taught a class right before service and you would not believe the host of other things that I did that weak which required rest that I so foolishly denied my body of.

I looked by at my sleep history on electronic FitBit device, and it revealed numerous days of two hours of sleep, even one day I had 59 minutes of sleep, preposterous! If you know me personally, you know that I can go, and go! My husband has even nicknamed me the, ‘Energizer Bunny.’ The reality is, I have not been operating in wisdom, and trying to do way too much in a days-time. The Holy Spirit confirmed in my heart as I asked God why I’d had that experience that,’Portia, you need to get more rest.’ Yes, okay I admit it. I am not the ‘Energizer Bunny,’ I am not ‘Wonder Woman.’ So I believe the Lord allowed this so that I would take heed, and slow down, and get some rest. If you don’t get rest, you will R.I.P., the acronym which stands for, Rest In Peace or quite frankly die. The heart needs rest. The body needs rest. The mind needs rest, and no matter how invincible you think you are, eventually your body will tell you so.

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Portia Williams Staff Writer
http://portsmouth-dailytimes.aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2016/06/web1_WilliamsPortia-2.jpgPortia Williams Staff Writer

Reach Portia Williams at 740-353-3101, ext. 1929, or on Twitter @PortiaWillPDT.

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