There I was in the produce aisle

There I was in the produce aisle weighing the merits of two different Anjou pears when it struck – a migraine. If you have had a migraine you probably understand what I was experiencing, if you don’t, you probably can’t. There are lots of different kinds of migraines, however. I have what is called the “Classic Migraine”. That just means that I have an aura that signals that a migraine headache is in the offing. It is rather like the funnel cloud that signals the presence of a tornado. The thing to do is to get out of the way of the tornado or with a migraine – stop it in its tracks if at all possible.

As I was contemplating which pear would be best if I made Terri’s wonderful salad, I suddenly got the aura. My aura is usually jagged lines on the right side. I remembered that when I got up, I had trouble focusing my eyes and wondered if I was developing a different aura. I wondered if I should have taken something then or if I could stop the migraine from fully developing. I fumbled in my purse for the pills and finally found them and got the capsule out. I swallowed it without water or anything, hoping it would kick in right away. I also wondered if people thought I was a drug addict who couldn’t go another minute without my fix.

I was planning to go somewhere else but, of course, I went straight home, after paying for the groceries. I put the perishables in the freezer or refrigerator, closed the blinds, made sure the air conditioner was on, drank something and settled in my chair. I am sure it was more comfortable than a tornado cellar. In a bit I dozed off briefly and was relieved that I had averted a day or two of pain.

I have had migraine headaches for many years and have tried to isolate the triggers that bring on my migraines. My triggers are, among other things, flashing lights (can’t be a disco dancer), chocolate, (can’t get blissed out by dark chocolate), stress, irregular schedule, lack of sleep, and stress. I will admit that the last few months, all but the flashing lights and chocolate have been present in my life. When I can’t sleep, I think of Psalm 127:2, which says: “He giveth unto His beloved sleep.” Since I am His beloved He will give me the sleep I need. I also think of Matthew 11:28 which is an invitation. It says, “Come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” When I have stress, I think of I Peter 5:7. In this verse we are told to “Cast all your care upon Him for He cares for you.”

Jesus is called the Great Physician and He has a solution for the really difficult things in life. . . perhaps not migraines but for soul sickness and sorrow and sin. Those are the things that can’t be cured by a pill from the pharmacy, but I have experienced His healing hand on me. I can rest in His goodness and I know that He is good all the time. I have experienced, along with Joseph in the book of Genesis, that God is enough.

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