"The Little Train That Could"

     Do you remember sitting "Indian Style" in preschool and early elementary grades and hearing the teacher read the story of "The Little Train That Could"?  I remember hearing the story over and over...and always picturing the scene from "Dumbo", where the circus train is pulling all of the cargo up the big hill/mountain in the rain...chanting to himself "I think I can, I think I can" over and over with a strained face until he finally makes it over the top and changes his tune to "I thought I could, I thought I could".  His face turns into a nice smug smile.  Even to this day, I still root him on!
 
     Well, every morning, for the past 4 1/2 years, I have felt like this little train when getting out of bed and when I do get out of bed.  I may not be pulling a lot of cargo, circus animals, or doing it out in the cold rain...but, boy do I feel like it!  
 
     Before I go to bed, I stretch out my muscles to help them relax, to help calm down the pain some.  In the morning...my body is tight and hurting!  The last thing I want to do is get out of bed.   On one hand it would be easier to just stay in bed and sleep off the pain, all day long.  Or, on the other hand, I could just deal with the pain since I will be hurting anyways, stretch out my muscles, help my family get off to where they need to be...
 
     I decide to follow what Phil 4:13 says: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  I get up.  Even if I stay in bed, I am going to hurt.  If I get up, I am going to hurt.  If I can breathe, then it is going to be a good day, a great day.
 
     Once I am up, I make sure I take a shower and get dressed, just like I would if I wasn't dealing with all of this pain.  By getting out of my PJs, I feel like I have accomplished something, that I can still take on the world.  Some days, this may be all that I do, while on others, running an errand may be all I can do.  I do feel better by getting up as I am moving about and remembering "I think I can, I think I can..."
 
     Why not enjoy life and hurt at the same time?  Get up out of bed or off of the couch or out of the chair, get dressed (dress in your Sunday best if you want to!), and enjoy the air that you can breathe in...at that very moment.  It is a gift that God has given you as, along with the strength to make it thru that moment.