Allergies

I know it’s that time again of the year.  It is starting to look more like SPRING!  Well, other than today, which is like 40 degrees… but in general for the past couple of days and looks like in the future, Spring has finally arrived.  I know this because I see the evidence that Spring is here.  I see the flowers starting to bloom.  The robins are frantically building their nest on my front porch and the entrance of the church.  I see bees coming out early to get the first nectar from the dandelions, and the grass is starting to green up, getting ready for the first cut.  Not only do I see all the evidence of Spring, I can feel it as well.

Allergies!  Yup, I have seasonal allergies and it is driving me nuts currently.  My eyes itch like crazy, my nose and throat get all congested.  My nose itches, I sneeze a lot.  My daughter is also going through the pains of Springtime allergies.  But she can’t tolerate them like the way I do.  I usually can just deal with it, but she has a hard time, constantly feeling bothered with itchy eyes and a runny nose.  I guess as you grow up, you just learn to deal with the little things that might upset you.

After-all, even though I have these horrific, annoying allergies, I love the fact that Spring is here.  Outside looks beautiful and how can I not go outside to enjoy it all?!  It is amazing.  So I outweigh the good and bad.  Allergies, bad, but all the things about Spring, good. 

Do your best not to try to focus on the bad things that happen in life.  Always look for the good things.  I know most of our brains are hardwired to think about the bad stuff, because our body is practicing the mechanisms of “fight or flee,” and “self-preservation.”  That is our mind is often times looking at the possibilities of danger and risk in order to protect itself from harm. 
When you think about it, my seasonal allergies are acting in such a way as well.  My body thinks that all that pollen and dust in the air is going harm the body, so the body overreacts by sending messages to the brain to create more histamines to block possible “invaders.”  But the body is overreacting and actually it is unnecessary to send on these histamines to block the natural pollen that fills the Springtime air.

Our minds are hardwired to “self-preservation.”  It makes us think about the possibilities of risk and danger from a frightening world.  That’s a good thing, but at the same time, the mind could be overreacting and create wild imaginations.  But we do our best not to be a prisoner to our minds and even at times force ourselves to look at the good, rather than the bad.

Easter is a good metaphor to use when we talk about feeling stuck, feeling of dread, or finding ourselves as if we are stuck in a prison of negativity and stress.  Let the Easter story remind us, that the giant boulder has been rolled away.  We are no longer prisoners, but we are free.  Free to live without shame or guilt.  Free to be positive and let others know that we will always look for the good rather than the bad.  The prison of the tomb, the stone rolled away will let the warm and bright light shine through uncovering all the darkness and shadows. 

After all, it’s Spring, there are going to be some big largemouth bass moving from the winter depths to come shallow to feel the warm sun.  You think just because I have Springtime allergies, just because my nose is runny, my eyes are itching, headaches, and constantly sneezing is going to keep me from going out and catching these fish… think again, tight lines everyone!