The Write Pursuit: Christian Writers Blog Chain

Monday, July 26, 2010

Comfort in Discomfort

I am a nurse.

Trained to dispense comfort. Sooth fears. Lessen pain. Ease anxiety. Provide hope. Give strength.

But that's not always comfortable. For patient or nurse.

For the nurse it might mean to insist on discomfort.

For the patient it might mean:

to breathe deep and cough when it feels like an incision will explode.
to walk when it feels like one more step is impossible.
to take medicine that causes the yucks.
to accept a dreaded needle.
to avoid comfort food and learn to eat healthy.
to give up control and allow exposure.

However, an order might read, "comfort measures only."

This usually means the patient is past the point of restored health and that death will occur before long.

Eat what you want. Do what you want. Refuse what you don't want. Rest in comfort and peace. And then die.

I don't want to die as a writer. I mean I don't want to live as a dead writer.

I don't want to live with comfort measures only.

So I may need to:

self-inflict discomfort and allow others to do so, too.
expose myself. Write naked. And let others read it.
let go of some things I love--good things--to make room for the best.
perhaps cause discomfort for others when I withdraw from some activities or say no to others.
come to terms with the fact that that's okay in order to respond to this God-given passion.
walk when I'm discouraged.
swallow the medicine of critique, even though it stings or tastes yucky.
try new exercises that stretch me even if they're painful.
sometimes go back to the beginning and learn to walk again.
be teachable.