Faith During Hardship

Faith is believing in things you cannot see. Two weeks ago, we talked about hope. To have hope, you you must have faith. 

Mom and I have the saying: when you can't see God's hands at work, have faith and trust that God's love for you is at work to bring you His best in His time to receive all of the glory, praise and honor for what He has done.

Cold temperatures and rainy days wreak havoc on my body. On these days, I typically experience severe muscle cramps that leave behind a knot that stays with me long after the spasm has ended. Spasms have caused dislocations especially in my fingers. Now, they cause contractures which means I cannot move the fingers of my hands. I am the tin Man in need of oil. These are the days that I must hold on to my faith the most. 

As we celebrate the third week of Advent, help us to believe and have faith in God's deep, unconditional love for us! If you are struggling with faith especially at this time of year, please feel free to reach out to me and we can chat privately and I will be able to pray with you.

Anticipation of Emmanuel and Trusting

I woke up yesterday with the worst pain that I have experienced yet from my Stiff Persons Syndrome. I'll admit that at first I said "Really God?" In the pain, songs flooded my heart and as I began to sing praises to God my heart knew that God is with me always! 

Yesterday, mom and I started our Advent devotional The Marvel and Miracle of Advent by Lisa Harper & Christine Caine, which I highly recommend. 

I love how God orchestrates everything! He used the study to remind me of two things: that He is always with me and that there is always hope. 

The first Advent candle symbolizes hope. When things are at their worst that is when we must hope and trust the most. Why hope? Because God is all about hope, the hope of Emmanuel which means God with us. 

Why trust? Because, no matter where I am in life nor what I'm going through I am never alone. Papa God is always with me! He was already fighting my battle for me yesterday. I had an appointment with my neuromuscular specialist who actually listened to what I had to say and prescribed a new medication that will help attack the spasms from a new way. 

Yesterday, my needs were met rather quickly. Life doesn't always happen that way. I know that the neuromuscular autoimmune diseases that I have can never be cured and the symptoms will continue to worsen. I also know that God has a plan which is why I must trust!

Hope and trust are a lifelong choice: we can either choose to embrace it or we can choose to reject it. I choose to believe in hope, in God, in His love for me, in His faithfulness and then the fact that He is always with me which means I am choosing to trust! 

The Bible tells us that we will not have an easy life. This is where we anticipate, which is what the Advent season is all about: anticipating the arrival of someone important, and trust that God is with us and that one day we will bask in His glory and love because that someone we anticipate is Papa God's son Jesus. He did come to us and walk with us which continues to this day!

Living with five rare diseases and a body that never seems to want to listen to what my brain is telling it to do can be extremely frustrating. I am going to enter this season of anticipation by being in the presence of God and trusting in the hope that Emmanuel, God with us, will do in my life. I encourage you to join me in trusting and hoping in who God is.

#marvelmiracleadvent #advent #HopeInChrist #stiffpersonsyndrome  #raredisease

Spiritual Warfare

One of the phrases you may have heard me use is “Armor Up.” Why is it important to “Armor Up?” I can tell you firsthand that spiritual warfare is real. 

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground… “ Ephesians 6:10-13

Recently, I was under attack by the enemy: he was scheming, throwing fiery arrows at me, making me doubt, using everything in his wheelhouse to chip away at my faith in God. Blessedly, God is always faithful!

“I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.” Psalms 89:1-2

I was never alone in this battle. God would remind me of various scriptures to bolster my 

strength:

“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.” Revelation 14:12

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” Psalm 40:1-2

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

These verses are great reminders of why we must hide the word of God in our hearts. For when the enemy attacks, His Word will be in us and see us through the battles and difficult times.

God sent special people into my life to pray over and to help me. 

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

We, as Christians, need to rely on God and on one another. We do not have to face our battles alone! 

“Therefore confess your sins [your battles] to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

I am grateful and blessed to say the devil has fled. God deserves all of the praise and glory for it is his Holy Spirit working in me and through me that got me through this battle. Furthermore, I know that this battle has been another chapter in my story that will bring God glory!