It needs to be recognized, right up front, that for some of us everyday chores may be impossible. For others, they require cutting back, or taking frequent rest periods. This devotional is intended to encourage you, not make you feel unnecessary guilt.

Earlier this year, after I started coughing up a small amount of blood (and went into panic mode!) this subject came to mind. A few days later a large clot was disgorged, and I made an appointment with my doctor right away. Then I tried to keep my life as normal as possible, and discovered that doing routine tasks was a help. Having to focus on the now, and on familiar things, dampened my feelings of dread.

There’s also the benefit that comes from stretching, and using muscles. It can improve our fitness level and therefore our quality of life. And there’s the satisfaction of having accomplished something worthwhile, contributing not only to meeting our own needs but those of others. Such activities can develop a measure of endurance and self-discipline. But is there a way to make them less like drudgery?

God is helping me to trade my attitude of self-centered resentment for one of gladly serving Him. I have a long way to go, but this is a good motivator. In addition, I can have times of fellowship with Him while doing more automatic chores, by praying, listening to praise music, or mediating on His Word. And it’s possible to make a game of it, or team up with a friend for suggestions and motivation.

How long it takes to do things can be frustrating. But I have found lately that while it’s often hard to begin a task, once I do I’m glad I did.

Prayer: Lord, give us the grace to tackle needful things, even when they give us a measure of pain and frustration. May we be more grateful, as well, for what you enable us to do. Amen.

About the Author:
Beth Cottrill lives in a small town in rural Saskatchewan, Canada, with her retired pastor/teacher husband, Bob, an avid football fan. She finds living with Attention Deficit Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, depression, osteo-arthritis and a stroke of several years ago a challenge, but also training for a ministry to others. She loves nature, animals, music, making cards and, last but not least, being a grandma.

You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com

Can you give an example of a time when chores (or just one chore) have been a special benefit to you? What do you do to make chores seem less like slave labour?

Sixteen months after I had four joints replaced in my hand I received a large bill that looked like a duplicate of one I had already paid. The name on the bill however, was “Joe.” My husband’s name (who carried the insurance) is Joel. I called the surgery center and explained that I believed there were two accounts and one was a duplicate of the other.

The woman in accounting didn’t believe so.

“That is just how it is addressed,” she explained. The bill is for Joel.”
“No,” I replied. “Everything on this bill says Joe. I won’t be paying this until I receive a bill with the correct name on it.”
“I see here your middle name is Joelle,” she said.
“Yes.”
“Well, that explains it then,” she said with a satisfied sigh.

Did I wake up in another world where logic was skewed?

Dealing with bills of any kind, especially medical ones, can be a frustrating and exhausting process. You have to find a sense of humor or you will quickly feel your blood pressure rise (and then you will have a new set of bills for that.) I don’t envy the people who work in the accounting or collection departments, but I do wonder how they can get so creative in their explanations.

I’ve learned over the years a few tips that help me get the most out of my experience and hopefully cheer up their day too.

1. Be kind. When they answer my call I say, “I know this is not your fault, but you are unlucky person that answered my call. I’d like to explain the situation to you and then seek your expertise on what my next step should be.” If you offer validation and acknowledge their experience they are more likely to help you out.

2. Write down information! For example, ask for his or her name and write it down. Later when someone says, “Who told you that?” you will have an answer. When the person says they are transferring your call, ask, “What is the number in case I get disconnected?” When they say, “I will call you back this afternoon,” ask, “Could I get your direct extension just in case I don’t hear from you.”

3. Be yourself (if you are a happy person). I’ve been on the phone on these important calls when the cat has brought a lizard into the house, my son was covered in chalk dust, and the doorbell wouldn’t quit ringing. If you have a little joy in your voice as you explain a problem, they will be more likely to help you find the answer.

4. Be able to send and receive faxes. Google “free online fax” for many services that have a 30-day free trial. If you are doing a lot of research for a bill, you may find this helpful. These usually work through your email account.

5. Zap the angry emotions. They hear frustration from people all day. Sounding a little flabbergasted is okay. You don’t want them to take advantage of your kindness. But do your best not to get angry and do not ever raise your voice.

6. Expect to wait. Be prepared to wait on hold awhile, so get a headset and a book to read. Call when you have plenty of time.

7. Say thank you. When someone is trying to help you or going the extra mile tell them you appreciate it. I have told many people “You have saved me so much time by doing the research for me instead of just transferring my call around. Thank you for making my day!” When I have received exceptional service I have asked the person how I could let her supervisor know. People rarely hear this. You will be surprised at how much they appreciate it.

8. Share your faith. I naturally tend to find a way to share why I have joy in my life. As a person in accounting looks at a bill and says, “Oh my gosh! You had the flesh eating bacteria?” I may respond, “Yes. It’s by the grace of God I am still here.” Sometimes they will say, “Wow, you sound so cheerful despite all of this,” so I will respond, “Well, God gets me through each day. Thankfully, He is the source of my joy, not the abilities of this body!”

If I have handled the call patiently, with thankfulness extended toward the person, and have controlled any anger about the situation, then when I talk about God I am not being hypocritical. These bill collecters hear from angry, rude people every day, all day, who are bitter about their illness and everything else in the world too. I hope I can be a light in a dark world to show them the reason for my joy.

Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries and has lived with rheumatoid arthritis since 1993. She lives in San Diego with her husband and son and the author of the much-loved devotional book Mosaic Moments: Devotionals for the Chronically Ill.

I spent yesterday at the hospital bedside of a very close friend who had a stroke that left him completely blind. We spent hours reminiscing about our many years together, and I learned a lesson which I am passing on to you.

My friend had just celebrated his 85th birthday. He was in the D-day invasion in World War II, wounded and later taken prisoner by the Germans. He has a wonderful wife and family.

As he lay there, staring sightlessly at the ceiling, he said, “So many things I’d planned that I’ll never get done.” Tears flowed as he talked (I had a few also but he couldn’t see them).

“I can never see my children and grandchildren and all the things they are doing. I can’t watch them become adults.”
“I have a million things I wanted to do and can’t do them now.”
“I won’t be able to work in my yard, plant seeds and watch things grow.”
“Sure, I can hear the birds but I can’t watch them at the bird feeder.”
“I have shelves of books I planned on reading. . .”
“No more golf,” he said, and the tears kept flowing.

“Most of all,” he continued, “I haven’t shown the ones I love as much as I should. And now I can’t see the expressions on their faces when I do. Will they still love me? Or will I be a burden on them? And what will happen to my friends I’ve known over the years? Will they stay away and be embarrassed in my presence?”

I had to remind him I was there and others would feel as I do and continue their friendship.

“Most of all, I can’t do things like repairs around the house, drive a car, meet friends for lunch, watch TV, read newspapers, walk in the neighborhood, even feed myself without help.”

Then he began sobbing and as I reached for his hand, I choked back my tears. Speaking softly but firmly, I said, “You have survived and have no paralysis. Your family and friends still love you and always will. Let’s talk about the good things that can keep you going.”

I reminded him, “Several places are available that work with the blind. I know a blind man who is a successful attorney. He was coached on how to use his special phone, as well as other daily activities he handles with little or no problems.”

Still holding his hand, I said, “You know your wife loves you. So do your children and grand-kids. They’ve shown that love already. They are anxious to help build your future and will work with you in making your life a thousand times better than you expect it to be.

“Now here’s advice from me, your long time friend. Work with your family. Thank them for every goal they helped you achieve. But most important–and I can’t emphasize it enough–take that recording equipment I know you have. Turn it on and start with your birth and tell about yourself. Talk into the microphone about all you remember as a little kid, your first school days, your childhood adventures, all of your later schooling.

After telling your college experiences, talk about your courtship with your wife, when your children were born, your first job and subsequent career until retirement. I know you’ve been successful; tell how you achieved that success. Pull out memories – good and bad – from your past. Share them all. Talk about your war ordeals and the years you spent as a prisoner of war. You have so many great memories to share.”

He seemed to brighten up at my suggestions and said, “That’s a good idea. I’ll do it.”

He is going home today from the hospital. One daughter and husband are moving into their large home with him and his wife. I am convinced he will have the best of care.

Why am I giving this story to you, my readers? My point is this: You, too, should get a tape recorder and dictate your life story. Or if you feel capable, write it; however, most of us can talk about our past rather than dictating it. Relive and cherish those memories.

I had a brother, now deceased, who joined the Marines in the mid-30′s. He was on Corregidor which the Japanese finally captured after six weeks. He survived the hell of the Death March plus 44 months as a POW. During his final years we convinced him to tell his experiences on his son’s recorder. We listen to his story and laugh and cry. All of us are thankful for those recorded unforgettable memories.

Let’s profit from my friend and my brother. My strong request is for you to record in some way your life experiences before it’s too late! It’s something both you and your loved ones will never regret.

We challenge you to do this this summer! You may look around you and see only the things which you are unable to do. But you have many of God’s teachings and revelations inside you from the suffering you have endured.

So record it. Tell it. Share it. Share about your life. Your favorite memories, of even the not-so-favorite ones that were still instrumental in creating the mosaic you are you today. Ideas? Suggestions? We’d love to hear them.

Denton Harris was in World War Two in the 86th Infantry Division. He attended college in Missouri and relocated to Atlanta, where he married a wonderful lady married in l948 (and is still married!). He has done investments, founded several businesses, including a bank where he was chairman. Currently, Denton us doing personal investments and writing. He has been the director of the largest Sunday School department in his church for over 35 years.

I recently happened upon a delightful surprise. While planning for a family vacation, I learned of an interesting tourist attraction: The Museum of disABILITY History in Buffalo, New York.

“The museum is the result of the desire of Dr. James M. Boles,” said 51-year-old Doug Platt, museum curator, in a telephone interview. “Boles was teaching an introduction to developmental disabilities course at University of Buffalo and wanted to direct his students to a website for a comprehensive look at how people with disabilities have been treated throughout the ages. There wasn’t one. That’s how the museum was born, in 1998.”

Boles also was president/CEO of People Inc., a New York nonprofit providing employment, residential, recreation, community outreach, and healthcare programs for people with disabilities. The Museum of disABILITY became a People Inc. project.

Said Platt, “I’m museum curator and my job is the safekeeping, arrangement, and description of artifacts I have helped collect. We used items we collected to create displays and exhibits that resulted in the way our gallery and website appear now.”

The museum has a website and a brick-and-mortar location in Buffalo. Visitors to the latter include elementary and high school groups, college social work and physical therapy students, and University of Buffalo medical students learning about disability history.

“We want to give people an idea of the role people with disabilities have always played in history,” said Platt, also a 26-year People Inc. employee. The museum’s online version has “wings” dedicated to people with disabilities and events in media, medicine, society, education, and advocacy. One recent exhibit was called Eugenics in America: Perfecting the Population. In part, it explained the history of the 1927 Buck vs. Bell Supreme Court ruling allowing forced sterilization of “unfit” Americans well into the 1960s.

“We have an Invacar, too” said Platt, referring to the three-wheeled vehicle manufactured for disabled British veterans from 1948-77. The museum also features well-known Americans such as President Roosevelt, Temple Grandin, John Elder Robison, and Stevie Wonder.

Platt said, “The museum wants to include a wide range of disabilities. People with disabilities have been marginalized and part of our vision is to create a society accepting of people with disabilities. By our presenting to the public the role people with disabilities have played, perhaps that will better help society understand and accept them.”

Daniel J. Vance writes a weekly newspaper column called “Disabilities,” and should soon be graduating from Minnesota State with a master’s in mental health counseling and becoming a licensed professional counselor. His goal is to combine this new career with being a freelance writer. See his Daniel Vance website or his Facebook Page.

Matt and Rachel

By Matt Horne

Caring for a chronically ill wife is not what I had envisioned when I was working up the nerve to ask out “that hot girl” who would later become my wife. We were in college and she was on the cross country team. She let me know very early on in the relationship that she had a chronic illness.

Nowadays, it’s just part of life. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if she were well.

There’s a reason I call her “Super Rachel.” On her good days, she can run circles around me–cleaning, getting things checked off her to-do list, and having tons of fun. She’s amazing.

On top of that, she has the greatest attitude and rarely lets her condition get her down. As her dad says, she’s an “overcomer.” Instead of having a “why me?” attitude, she says “what can I do to fix it?” She also has the tendency to volunteer for more than she can handle, but I digress. . .

Here are some tips about the logistics I’d like to pass on to help other couples who are coping with chronic illness:

Career

Super Rachel can’t work sometimes. A couple years ago, she was working part-time, working on her Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology, and working as a Graduate Assistant at the university (to pay for school). She crashed. We worked it out so we don’t need her income and she can stay at home trying to feel better.

Priorities

She was forced to reevaluate her priorities. Rachel used every ounce of her energy to please everyone else and live up to their expectations. Sometimes she was not physically able to drive home at night and I would have to put on my shining armor and drive my mighty steed (Ford Ranger) to pick her up. We had very little free time as a couple. At that time, she decided to put God first and her family (me) second in her life. School, work, and everything else is important, but not that important.

Now that she’s feeling better, she only works 2 days a week and we carpool, so she doesn’t have to drive herself. Working two days a week at the doctor’s office is the peak of her current physical ability, but she has the opportunity to help others with the same chronic condition she has.

Mobility

I searched on craigslist.org for a walker and a go-cart. (Yes, I call it the go-cart. Yes, I know I’m wrong. It is a mobility scooter. No, I won’t change.) I got the walker for $50 ($175 off) and the go-cart for $300 ($1,000 off). The walker helps her get around the house when she’s at her worst health-wise. The go-cart helps us get the shopping done, among other things.

Shopping

I used to get really frustrated when she said she had enough energy to go shopping, but didn’t. Invariably, when we got just about five items down on the list, she would need to quit and go home. I had probably 25 more things to get. It really made me angry sometimes, but it wasn’t her fault. The walker and the scooter dramatically changed things. Now, for the first time in her life, she actually enjoys shopping.

Independence

To help her be more independent on her bad days, I installed a hand-held shower head in the bath tub and bought a shower chair. Now she can clean herself most of the time.

Comfort

We used to sleep on an incline, so there wouldn’t be as much of a change for her when she gets up in the mornings. This is a common treatment for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.

Cooking

It is very important for her to be able to eat when I’m not home, even when she can’t stand up. If you can’t stand for more than a few seconds, you obviously can’t cook on the stove top. We try to get a good number of things pre-cooked and in the freezer for her to re-heat and I’m not talking about “healthy-choice box dinners” either.

We like to do what is called “Once A Month Cooking,” or OAMC. We’re not very good at doing it regularly, but if you do it right, you can have wonderful dinners & lunches for very little cost, and it’s all home made! With OAMC, you create a plan, buy your stuff, cook all day, and then freeze it for later. Sometimes all day Saturday spills over into part of the day on Sunday.

When she’s desperate for some nutrition and doesn’t have the energy to cook, she uses the walker to get to the kitchen, musters what energy she has to get the food from the freezer to the microwave, and then sits down on the seat of the walker (or the floor) while it cooks. After that, she can eat right there in the kitchen. Some days, we use the bar stool in front of the stove or sink so that she can get some work done.

And I almost forgot – I do pick her up and carry her sometimes!

Tomorrow Matt will Share. . .

How a Husband Can Encourage a Chronically Ill Wife – The Spiritual and Emotional Stuff

Matt Horne is the wife of Rachel, who lives with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and fibromyalgia, among other conditions. They have been married since December 2006 and Rachel is currently pregnant with her first child. Matt is the youth pastor at the First Baptist Church Hebron in Carrollton, Texas. You can visit his web site at http://www.matthorne.info .

“LemonAid Crutches”(TM) is the first company to create lovely designer crutches in rich, vivid colors and gorgeous, expressive fabrics. Being on crutches can be a sad, depressing experience, but this store makes it a bit more enjoyable and a whole lot more cheerful.

On the LemonAid Crutches (TM) web site it shares, “No one wants to be on crutches. They hurt your hands, they hurt your arms and they certainly hurt your sense of style.

Many have tried to tackle the challenge of adding comfort to an uncomfortable item, but duct tape and washcloths look…well…tacky. That’s why we created designer crutch-wear that’s not only comfortable, but fun and fabulous looking.”

Founder Laurie Johnson’s personal testimony to this fact makes one realize that a little bit of encouragement can go a long way in the face of a major crisis. In August of 2002, Laurie was in a small plain crash that took the lives of her husband and small son. Laurie survived, but she found herself with broken legs and was confined to using crutches.

After the first year on crutches, Laurie and her sister decided that a little cheering-up was in order, and they began by painting Laurie’s crutches a bright color! By her second year on crutches, Laurie had mastered her technique of covering the crutches’ pads with vivid colored materials and thus the beginning of “LemonAid Crutches (TM)” was born.

One cannot imagine the devastation another one goes through when losing family members in tragic circumstances. Laurie says that she had much support to help her pick up the pieces of her life even when her life was absolutely shattered beyond repair!

Though living in devastation, Laurie started a “non-profit” foundation called “Step with Hope.” This foundation offers assistance to others who are coping with profound loss in their lives.

What a wonderful place to go to discover that something as “sad” as being on crutches for a prolong period of time can actually be turned into a fashion-statement. Why not check this place out if you know someone on crutches?

A little encouragement and cheering up can go a long way in helping someone recover from pain. And . . . if you personally are one of those who have to endure crutches for awhile, perhaps this is the web-site for you. You might find your ideal look and sense of style, making your crutches fashionable and not nearly as depressing while supporting a fantastic cause in the process.

Have you ever decorated, embellished, or painted an assistive device? Tell us about it in the comments section! How does it make you feel? What is the response of others who see it?

Debbi Farmer is a part-time writer and small business owner who loves to find wonderful sites that encourage the broken-heart. She shares, “My heart goes out to those who are suffering from profound loss such as Laurie went through. I cannot even imagine that kind of pain, but I realize even through the familiar pain of illness, the Lord is so good and I have so much to Thank Him for!”