Day 12... What Can Stickers Teach You?

I have learned to use the "sticker test".  When Miss Alex was little we used lots of subtle signs to determine the care she needed.  Was she a little droopy?  Giver her some Sprite?  Was she excessively cranky too?  Maybe we would need to have a few things checked out.  The real unofficial test became the "sticker test".  

You see Alex LOVED the stickers she would get at the doctor's office (and we were there a LOT).  She developed a special relationship with each of the staff.  The gal in the front office would always give her a little strip of small round stickers.  This treat more than made up for whatever had been done do her in the office.  Alex would immediately take them off and stick them on her arm.  Fun!  

We noticed that when she was really not doing well the stickers did not get removed from the paper strip.  Many times when we would arrive her sweet "friends" in the office would try to cheer her up or get her to respond a little more.  We all began to notice that usually these days ended with a trip to the hospital.  

We began to use those anxious moments waiting to see the doctor as a sort of predictor of how the day would go.  If she decorated herself with the stickers we were probably going home.  If not we were probably going across the street to visit our friends at the ER.

As Miss Al has gotten older her love for the stickers hasn't changed.  At each doctor's office she asks for stickers.  They seem to be her personal reward for being brave.

I think they are little marks of bravery that she needs to remind herself that she can do all that is asked of her.

The less and less I find stickers around my house I realize the more we all need little moments of encouragement as we face the challenges life throws at us.  I think I need a "sticker test" to help me better predict what kind of care I need.  These "stickers" don't have to be anything too big.  They need to touch our heart and help us gauge our care needs.  

God is amazing at using creative ways to encourage us along our journey.  Sometimes it is a phone call from an old friend to build us up from the inside.  It might be a treat given to us by a coworker.  Maybe even a smile or a hug.  These are my stickers that can help me know what I need to keep going and face the challenges ahead.