For decades – possibly longer – women’s intuition has been a real thing. That intuition can also be referred to as “go with your gut, trust your gut” or “I’ve got a gut feeling.” Some people rely on their “gut instinct.”
I’ve got something in my gut lately, but I don’t think it’s intuition or anything I’d want to trust to the unknown. Currently, the unknown in my stomach is more than just a feeling – it’s a nuisance. A pain. A game changing, life-altering, crippling distraction that is annihilating my social life.
These distractions are DAILY stomach aches that I call “my bubble gut.” What this newfound upset stomach is doing is paralyzing my lifestyle by keeping me chained to the “throne room.”
Lately, certain combinations of food stuffs containing gluten, lactose, and undigestible assorted components seem to enter into my abdominal cavity and turn those food stuffs into molecular bombs that create explosions in my tummy so severe, I find myself begging for mercy. And it’s not just a once in a while occurrence, but Every. Single. Night.
When did I become the women who can’t eat anything without suffering severe stomach cramping, bloating and … ahem … trapped gas that were I to release it, would be so powerful and explosive it could power a hot air balloon that could circle the globe in 80 days. It’s become my cross to bear and I’ve got to say, there are not enough words to explain just how much I hate it!
The ramifications of a chronic bubble gut simply put; means I’ve not been able to eat much of anything lately without experiencing intense abdominal pain. Pain that typically starts every day around 5:00 pm lasting for many hours up to bedtime and sometimes well into the night.
Stomach pain acute enough to disrupt my sleep schedule. Believe me when I say, there is NOTHING cute about lack of sleep! The only position that works to somewhat alleviate the agony is to curl into a tight ball while applying a hot, hot heating pad directly to my mid-section. The combination of poor sleep and constant pain had me feeling every bit of my age and then some. I’ve had little to no energy and not enough spark in my tank to light a fire that would allow me to complete the simplest of tasks. It has been a life less lived lately!
The good news – if there is indeed ANY good news to be had is that each morning upon waking it’s like starting with a do-over. A fresh, untouched canvas, with a new brush if you will. Somehow the bubble gut deflates before the morning alarm, but not without leaving me a not-so-lovely parting gift of achy stomach muscles that feels like the aftermath of having done a thousand sit-ups.
I begin each morning with a grateful prayer of “this is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it!” (Psalm 118:24) As if by magic and without fail, the previous night’s stomach ache is mercifully gone, which always prompts the joyous refrain of “O Give thanks unto the Lord for He is good and His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)
It’s bad enough that at my age I’m racing the clock to the final countdown and fighting with Mr. Gravity to keep my body parts from their fleshly free fall. The battle is real as I beat back Mother Nature and Father Time as they launch their barrage of old-age missiles at me non-stop. I’ve reached the point in my existence where I appreciate the preciousness of each passing day. Each new sunrise is a joyful gift. Especially a new day minus stomach pains.
Life’s eternal destination on the path to glory has detoured me on the Golden Years off-ramp where at least, there is a nice clean rest stop. Somehow, I thought the journey would take much longer. The detour was no doubt predicated by these unexpected stomach issues whose goal it would seem is to shorten the life expectancy of someone who is otherwise healthy.
Without warning I’ve become someone who had occasional stomach issues and could eat what I wanted (within reason) to someone who has to watch everything that goes into my mouth. I’m at that juncture where the most important pre-meal question is no longer “do you want that super-sized?” Or “soup or salad,” but … is the momentary taste of this bite (this side-dish, dessert or binge) REALLY worth the post-meal bubble gut pain?
I’ve done a little internet research and talked to a few friends who struggle as I do, and I must confess that there are times when too much knowledge is a bad thing. Researching site after site that speaks to my issues, I’ve deduced I must surely have contracted some sort of deadly parasite on my last trip to the Amazon Rainforest. Oh wait, I’ve never been to the Amazon! Unless you count my many trips on Amazon Prime. But I’m pretty sure you cannot catch a parasite from online shopping. (I’ve heard its only viruses that can attack your online activity.)
Some of my research suggests I might possibly have developed a gluten allergy, celiac disease, a bum gall bladder or something much more sinister … but no, I’m sure it’s none of those. To discover that I may have developed a disorder that will permanently limit my food intake is so troubling, as the list of foods to avoid is basically EVERYTHING that I eat on a regular basis!
Staring down the barrel of a future that spells out bland menus that consist of unsweetened applesauce, brown rice and bone broth as my sole nutritional sustenance does not spark joy for the remainder of my golden years.
A friend of mine who is currently dealing with similar stomach issues recommended starting a probiotic regime like the one her doctor suggested.
I’ve tried probiotics in the past, but I settled for the cheapest product that Walmart carried because I’m a product of my formative years where I was raised by the two cheapest, penny-pinching individuals on planet earth. Not surprisingly, “you get what you pay for” and there was no noticeable change or pain relief from the least costly probiotic. It is likely the cheap stuff did not contain enough Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus to properly create the right environment in my tender tummy.
A little more research and a trip to the Prime of Amazon landed me on a product that seems to be making a substantial difference in my gut health. It’s been about one week and my bubble gut appears to be on the mend as the growth of good bacteria is providing me with an all-day fresh canvas, free from crippling cramps. Getting the exact right balance of good bacteria and eliminating the bad bacteria may take some time – but things are looking up.
Looking up is always best! Hallelujah!
Who would ever think that something as small as a bacteria could cure or destroy so many health issues? But then, if the last two years has taught us anything, it’s that something as miniscule as a virus completely undetectable to the naked eye can quite literally topple nations.
Tiny microorganisms can cause bodily harm and destroy a life, an economy, a civilization and render life as we know it unrecognizable.
Not everything that is invisible is considered deadly though. Look at the triune God for example. The Creator of the universe is invisible but look at the immeasurable power available and the omnipotence of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Lord can turn a desperate dying soul bound for hell into a born-again believer and give them a life worth living that will secure their eternal home in Heaven. Jesus can restore a hopeless life into one of joy, promise and prosperity.
Jesus can forgive the worst sinner and redeem them into a righteous son or daughter of a King. God can take a life out of control and set it on a path of purpose. Jesus can take a shattered life and turn it into something beautiful. He can take what is broken and restore it into something whole.
I can’t see the Holy Spirit, but He is always with me. My woman’s intuition or that gut feeling I frequently rely on is usually the Holy Spirit giving me a spiritual nudge. The Holy Spirit regularly will open the eyes of my heart, giving me wisdom or discernment that I do not possess in my own strength.
Healthy eating, daily exercise and a new probiotic regime are all possible because the Holy Spirit is my guide. The Holy Spirit strengthens my mind and body when I don’t have the energy to exercise. After a sleepless night, it is the Holy Spirit who empowers me and gives me the will to press through. The Holy Spirit directs my steps giving me wisdom beyond my normal thinking to process the best combination of foods, vitamins and yes – even which probiotic is right for me.
Here is a reality check for you: as the reality of war in Europe floods our news outlets, I am more at peace than ever before. Peace during a time of global chaos would seem to be an emotional contradiction, but the peace I have is the same peace that sustained me throughout the two-plus years we’ve been battling COVID.
Wisdom, discernment, optimism, joy and unexplainable peace can ALL be yours as well – but you won’t find it in food, sex, shopping, drugs, alcohol or any other false idols. All of these can only be had when you listen to your gut that tells you that there MUST be something more to this life than the endless pursuit of living for yourself.
Trust your gut by surrendering your life to Jesus. It’s very simple. There’s nothing to buy and you don’t have to become a religious fanatic or join a church (if you don’t want to – but a great Bible-believing church can change your life). Talk to God like you would talk to anyone. Confess you have made a mess of your life by trying to run it on your own. Admit you’re a sinner and you want a fresh canvas – a do-over – and ask Jesus to come into your heart.
That’s it! If you say yes to Jesus you’ve got a new reason for living and you’ve secured your spot in heaven for all eternity. Download a free Bible app and start reading through God’s manual for life. Find some other fellow believers and enjoy living in a community of people who love Jesus as well. Before you know it, those gut feelings might just be your heavenly Father trying to get your attention by speaking to you through the Holy Spirit.
Listen to your gut!
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Kathleen Kurlin 