This morning I’ve been thinking back to January, when I was really beginning to feel the “worst of the worst” and my body really felt as though it was beginning to shut down —no matter how hard I would push, no matter how hard I would try to keep going, my body just wasn’t agreeing with me.

One afternoon around that time, I decided to lay down for a nap (around this time I would often have to lay down for a 2-3 hour nap). I had gone to sleep with questions on my heart,

“Why am I feeling so tired and worn? What’s wrong with me? Why am I in so much pain? Why am I so weak? Why has this life become so hard? What about all the things I know I am to do with my life?” —I was crying out to God about what could be going on with me. I knew that I was beginning to fall apart, but I had no idea what could be the problem, or where to turn.

“God, I know You’ve not led me this far, only to lead me ‘this far’….”

As I awoke from my nap a couple of hours later, I remember waking up suddenly as I heard, “Vitamin D!”….. I suddenly remembered that I would often test to be deficient, and my doctor recommended that I take vitamin D supplements.

We had gone through tremendous financial hardship in 2019, and the last thing I thought about was spending money on vitamins around that time, and so I probably hadn’t thought about vitamin D in a couple of years at that point, and then suddenly I wake up from a dream where the key word was, “Vitamin D”….

So, I started looking it up, digging in, reading up on Vitamin D again, and I decided to get some to try, perhaps it would help me to feel better.

I did almost immediately begin feeling better as far as my energy level goes, and although being vitamin D deficient wasn’t the main root of my problem (and not long after that God would lead me further into the answers I so desperately needed)…. but I believe the lack of vitamin D was certainly part of it.

But all of that to say…..

This morning I was thinking about this “Vitamin D” again….? how everyone is talking about it right now, how it has a huge part in boosting the immune system, they’re even talking about it relating to all of this COVID-19 stuff, and how it affects so many crucial functions of the body…

“Although vitamin D is called a “vitamin” (i.e., a required nutrient obtained from the diet), it is not truly a vitamin. It acts more like a hormone since the body can synthesize it from cholesterol after the skin is exposed to UVB rays from the sun. Vitamin D is estimated to be involved in the regulation of up to 2000 genes—that’s a lot of input into the critical processes happening in every cell throughout the entire body! Consequently, this vital nutrient has been linked to almost every health condition under the sun, from bone and muscle health, to brain health, pregnancy, immune activity, cardiovascular functions and more (mental health, nervous system…). In contrast, vitamin D deficiency can lead to significant health consequences, and it’s estimated that 42% of American adults are deficient.” (Source)

…And then I began thinking about the fact that this particular vitamin primarily comes from the sun…. light…..

(And then it’s like I go into another zone, and I start thinking about the natural and the spiritual things all parallel like…. ??)

Just like this crucial, life-giving Vitamin D primarily comes from the sunlight, there are “nutrients” and crucial “vitamins” that we get from the “Son” in the same way.

How Jesus brings us to life! How He lifts us from our sleep and weariness, how He revitalizes us, fortifies us…

“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” —John 8:12

Not only does He “light the way of life”, He infuses us with His “life-giving” “light” that restores us, fortifies us, and gives us strength to keep going.

And His Word… ????

“But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” —Matthew 4:4

And let’s broaden it a bit more…

Much of the world is “deficient” in “vitamin D”….. just as much of the world is deficient in “spiritual nutrients” that can only come from the Son. ☀️

Perhaps the “remedy” is to “soak up” in the light of His presence. ?

Just some thoughts…

Some say that I’m rather good at “dad jokes” and perhaps all of this might sound “cheesy” but I don’t care —and who knows if anyone else will see the same things He’s showing me through my own life, but that’s okay, I’m going to write about it anyway. ??

Thank You, Lord for revealing Your ways, for helping me to understand how You work, and what You desire for us —You love to teach us through the simplest of things. ?I love Your ways, God.

-Heather ?