Ibuprofen is my Mulberry Tree!
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Luke 17:5-6 (NIV)
For Lent this year I decided to give up something very precious to me. Ibuprofen. (or any other kind of Tylenol/Advil, etc.)
Let me first start by confessing that I am terribly addicted to Ibuprofen. I take as much as often as I can. (and sometimes more) My mom, dad, and friends have literally yelled at me before over it (almost intervention style!) Now, I have taken some sabbaticals of it… or tried to ween myself off of it from time to time- but I have found it is so much easier to just pop a pill to coupe with my stress.
I use the word “stress” lightly because I think stress is in everyone’s life— its just a matter of how you react to it. I tend to keep my bubbly positive attitude no matter what— but inside my head is hurting and my shoulder’s are tense- not to mention all my jaw/face muscle problems from my horn injury. Plus, my schedule is hectic. It’s been hectic since middle school though and I wouldn’t change it for the world because I love it! It’s just that I cannot continue to be one of those people that needs to take medicine to coupe with stress. These 40 days will force me to manage it all better.
So far I have played piano (what a laughable idea too… my mom still doesn’t believe it) and done my Wii Fit as modes of getting stress out. I have definitely had moments of pure habit in wanting to take some Ibuprofen- but thankfully didn’t. The very first day actually, I told my mom “Sorry but Lent just came at a bad time for me this year. I’m taking medicine!” I told her as I got 2 pills out to take with my dinner before church Wednesday night. Funny thing was- by the end of the meal I completely forgot to take them with the water I had… so I took it as a sign. I must do this. So I am! I went to church and told a couple of people as hopes they would be like accountability partners. One said, “Ohh girl! you should have given up chocolate! That would have been easier!” hahah Oh Anne, I love it! 
Any ideas on how to coupe with stress instead of Ibuprofen??
I suppose it is better than smoking?? =)