Resting Places (MRI?!)

I have never been claustrophobic. In fact, I am more likely to seek out small spaces where I can be alone.

It’s probably my Mom’s fault.😉. My parents had a walk-in closet in their master bedroom that had its’ own heater on the wall. When I was young, my Mom often closed herself into that closet with the heat on and read her Bible when she couldn’t find a quiet place elsewhere in the house.

We were not allowed to go hide out in their closet but I had a trundle bed when I was young. A trundle bed is a bed with another bed that is on a frame that can be raised up or collapsed down with wheels that allow it to be stored under the main bed. Whenever I had a friend sleep over or when my sister and I had a sleepover party, the trundle bed would be rolled out and raised for my guest. But sometimes I used to like to pull the trundle bed out and sleep in the floor under my bed. It felt safe under there - in a small space that had walls on 2 sides, a trundle bed blocking a third side and just a narrow opening at the foot. When I was scared, that’s where I often went to hide.

When I moved into my own studio apartment, I had a walk-in closet. My bed was a futon that served as a couch by day. There were nights I could not get comfortable and the big room that served as living room, family room, dining room and bedroom felt lonely and kinda scary. It was my first time truly living alone. So sometimes I would take my comforter and pillow into the walk-in closet and sleep on the floor in there with the door closed. I felt safe and slept soundly.

I moved around from apartment to apartment a lot in my twenties. I upgraded from a studio apartment to a one bedroom apartment and the futon became a full time couch. My parents gave me their old full sized bed and still, there were nights I just couldn’t get comfortable in bed so I would pack up my pillow and comforter and head to my walk-in closet and sleep on the floor.

I think you can see a pattern developing. When I have needed to find comfort and/or rest I have sought out small spaces.

Even after I was first married and we moved in to our first home with a walk-in closet I would sometimes sleep on the floor in the closet when my husband was out of town.

Having MS now I don’t generally have trouble getting to sleep and it’s much less comfortable for me to sleep on the floor these days - because I’m old.😉 Plus, I get too cold on the floor. But I still like small spaces…

…enter my annual MRI! A small but noisy space. It’s not dark OR warm but my favorite MRI technician (whom I request every time) piles warm blankets on me; places a cushion under my head, a pillow under my knees, and gives me ear plugs and headphones before sliding me into this tube that is a very comforting small space.

I recognize that I am unique in this area. I look forward to my annual MRI with excitement and I am genuinely disappointed when it’s over. My MRI technician pampers me and I feel like I am at a relaxing spa!

And the noises made during the MRI can be pretty entertaining actually if you have an active and vivid imagination like I do. I have been trying to come up with good words to make an MRI rap song with all the knocks, bangs and buzzes and various MRI sounds but haven’t been able to yet. Sometimes my brain pictures cartoon characters dancing or Woody Woodpecker knocking on the side of the tube. I find myself laughing a little at the images my brain conjures up while I’m in there. Sometimes I am feeling a little extra fatigued and have actually managed to doze off a time or two.

I am thankful my growing up years helped prepare me for annual MRIs. I know there are people who are terrified of small spaces and MRI machines can cause those people severe anxiety. God knew what my current situation would be so He prepared me while I was young for the things I face now that I’m older.

If God was this involved in this one minor detail in my life, imagine what He has been doing along the way to prepare me for all the major things happening now or that WILL be happening in the future!

It is so important to look back and reflect on even the minor details to see that God is involved in ways that prepare us for the major issues of life - so we realize how truly trustworthy His wisdom is and how His knowledge of our future gives Him the perspective we lack when making decisions today.

That is why I find small spaces even more comforting and restful today - because small spaces aren’t crowded and are often quiet places where I can be alone with God and truly hear Him directing my steps.

The most restful thing I do in that MRI machine is pray - for wisdom, for my family and friends, for my MRI technician and his family and for anything else the Lord brings to mind.

My car is also small space where I can control the noise when I am alone and can pray.

And I still have a walk-in closet when I really need it.😁