On opening a quart of milk!

One would think that opening a quart of milk should be a simple task.  Just unscrew the little lid and peel off that thin foil protector, and pour your milk. A simple task, right?  Well, not when your little fingers don't work right due to Rheumatoid Arthritis...

Making pancakes with a 4 year-old is a fun activity!  We got out the ingredients, the tools, the griddle was set and heating. We carefully measured the mix and cracked the eggs in.  Then came the milk!  One quart was nearly empty so I poured the remaining 4 ounces of milk into the measuring cup and started to open the full quart.  That was the beginning of the end! 

As I carefully pulled on that thin little foil security topper, my finger strength was not enough to tear it loose.  Instead, as I pulled it, the quart tipped over, knocked the half-full measuring cup to the floor and milk was everywhere!  "Are you serious," I exclaimed, as the 4-year-old jumped out of the way!   I could just stare in disbelief at the milk on the rug, the trash can, the cabinet wall, the floor, the door of the refrigerator!  Thankfully my sweet husband came to my rescue and helped with the cleanup. 

All I could say over and over was; "Why can't I remove that silly little foil?"  "It's such a small thing to do!"  "Why?"  "Why?"  "Why won't my hands and fingers do what I command them to do?"  "Why do I always drop things when I was never clumsy before?"  Ethan responded; "You're just tired, right Grandma?"  Sweet answer, but not entirely true.

The problem is that no matter how much I have rested and/or slept, my hands just don't work right any more.  It doesn't change if they hurt or not, whether I've put anything on them or not, they just don't work!  So what do I do with this challenge?

I call it a challenge, because that's how I see it.  It doesn't mean I can never do anything again.  It doesn't mean I have failed somehow.  It doesn't mean I have to give up doing something that I love, like cooking with my grandchildren.  It does, however, challenge me in new ways!

In the kitchen I make more messes now, it's really hard to stir things like ground meat in a pan, I have had to buy new dinnerware and cookware because I have a hard time lifting heavy objects without dropping them.  Obviously I cannot open milk!  So what is the answer?  Give up?

No way!  I can't just give up!  No matter what, I need to keep moving forward, no matter how difficult!  But how to do that is the challenge!

So, here is what I've come up with:
1. Change the activity if it's too hard and pick something that's easier accomplished.
2. If I can't do something I must ask for help, easier said than done, but I have to do it!
3. Change the environment if possible, like the lighter-weight dishes, pots, and pans.
4. Change the tools. Invest in ergonomically designed kitchen tools, for example.
5. Be patient with myself.  Accept that this is my new "reality." That's a tough one!
6. Rest when I need to for self-preservation.
7. Depend on God and His provision in an even greater way.

No matter what!  I will not turn away from God and His provision for me and my family.  We all face difficult things on a daily basis.  Some of you may think about spilled milk and think, "Really?"  "What I face is so much harder!"  The funny thing is that the answers are still the same!  Stay focused on the goal, be patient, accept that difficult things will happen in life, and depend on God in an even greater way!