Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage . . . They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
~Psalm 84:5

Friday, June 12, 2009

Discovery Health is bad for my health

So the TV up in my room is wired with cable, yet for the past 18 months I only seem to get 14 stations. No idea why. One day all the other stations decided to air snow instead of the regularly scheduled program.

The two cable stations I actually get are Bravo and Discovery Health. Needless to say, I get sucked into countless shows on both stations. So it's actually a blessing in disguise that I don't get the full cable load! But if I were given a wide selection, I probably wouldn't choose to sit down and watch Discovery Health. There are some interesting shows and it's all one big reality TV show station (since all the shows deal with real people with real problems). But the more I watch the more I realize that Discovery Health is, in fact, bad for my health.

One of my big life issues is fear. Ever since I was a little girl I remember being afraid of things from oompa loompas to our dog, Benji, jumping on top of me when I went out to the backyard. Forget having to converse with strangers and do things by myself (like playing outside where people can see me and asking for help with basic things). Since becoming an "adult" I've realized the spiritual connection and have spent many hours over the years praying for freedom from fear. However, it's still there and manifests itself in the oddest ways sometimes.

Well, Discovery Health has a way of fostering fear inside of me, let me tell you! With shows like Deliver Me and Baby Stories, I'm aware of all the complications that can occur during pregnancy -- miscarriage, emergency c-sections, the baby's organs growing on the outside of their body, a surprise twin, premature babies being in the hospital for weeks, etc. I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant speaks for itself! And then I'm afraid of all the possible conditions my child could be born with, like primordial dwarfism, a parasitic twin, skeletal dysplasia, and countless other conditions. Shows like Big Medicine and The World's Heaviest Man make me fear I can become morbidly obese. And shows like I Lost It and Half of Me make me worry I'd either need surgery or expensive trainers and nutritionists to lose all the weight. Then we have Mystery Diagnosis that makes me fear I may get a disease or condition that countless doctors won't be able to diagnose. Add to that Trama - Life in the ER, Untold Stories of the ER, and Impact: Stories of Survival, all which bring fear to the simple everyday tasks of driving, mowing the lawn, swimming in the ocean, and even walking down the street (in case there's a drive by!). And Dr. G, Medical Examiner tops it all off by showing some of the simplest and unexpected ways people can die.*

So thank you, Discovery Health, for opening the door to millions of new fears I didn't even know existed.**






*Don't worry, folks. I don't watch ALL of these shows. Just one or two of them from time to time over the past year or so.

**Of course, I say that very tongue-in-cheek, and must assure you, reader, that I don't live my life in that much fear!

3 comments:

Brandi said...

I have some idea of what you are dealing with except it didn't hit me until Nathan was born. I remember rolling up in my comforter and bawling when I realized that there were things (like cancer) that I could not for sure protect him from.

As I've grown in my understanding of the sovereignty and goodness of God (even though I don't fully understand His ways and never will) that has helped tremendously with fear...I love that worship song that says "the universe is in the hands of the Lord..."

Anyways, I will be praying for you and I am glad you shared. I feel I know you a bit better now. :-)

Eric Guel said...

That's jacked up, Beave.

Tirzah said...

I was TOTALLY addicted to the Discovery Health Channel when I lived with my parents!! (I don't have it anymore b/c it's not included on basic cable in my apartment, but they repeat a lot of those shows on TLC.) Dr. G. is da bomb.

I've dealt with fear, too (not initiated by Discovery Health), and it's awful b/c it can lead to insecurity, anxiety, depression, etc. I've been learning that perfect love casts out all fear (see 1 John). I think it's important to keep the flow going -- if fear comes, don't let it become stagnant and putrid inside you. Pour it out to God and let Him love on you... pour it out to God and let Him love on you. Keep the flow going.

And the fact that the world's heaviest man (the guy in Mexico, right?) is married now gives me some hope!

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