A Solid Rock

A Solid Rock

Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD God is the eternal Rock. Isaiah 26:4

“My emotions are all over the place,” Jillian said. “One minute I’m crying because I feel sad, and the next moment I’m angry. But that’s not all. It’s the dead of winter, and I’m having hot flashes that are so bad I’m sweating while everyone around me is freezing. I feel like I’m in a raging river being tossed around while my family is standing on the banks wondering what’s wrong with me.”

Jillian was fifty-two, and her menses were as irregular as her emotional state.

“You’re going through menopause,” I said. “Your ovaries are shutting down. They gave you four great children, but now they’re getting confused. They don’t know which hormones to produce and how much to release at a time. That’s why you get surges that make you feel as if you’re not on solid ground—because, hormonally speaking, you’re not.”

“What can I do about it? I can’t live like this. Should I go on hormone replacement therapy?”

“There are many options, and just as many opinions, in medicine today. In the past, we put everyone on replacement treatment, but now we tailor treatment to your individual needs. The studies are still coming in about the risk/benefit ratio for hormones. I agree that we need to focus on how to minimize and manage the symptoms you’re experiencing.”

I talked with Jillian about several options. I wanted to make sure she understood the importance of good nutrition, exercise, and other techniques, such as relaxation treatments. We also discussed medications that were available to help her with the emotional ups and downs she was experiencing.

“How long does menopause last?” she asked.

“The average is about two years, and then things should settle down.”

“I feel like I just need a solid bit of ground to stand on until then,” Jillian said.

You may not be going through menopause, but perhaps something else is rocking your world and making you feel as if you’re being tossed around. Today’s verse promises us that God is our Rock. If we build our life on him, we may take a battering during a storm, but the strong winds of adversity won’t be able to knock us down.

TODAY’S RX

Trust God. He is our eternal Rock.

When my life is spinning out of control, I know I can go to you for refuge, Lord. You are my steady ground. Thank you for remaining constant when all else is in flux.