Sunday, December 15, 2024

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.


Wednesday, December 4, 2024

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