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How to Trust God With Your Daily Chronic Pain

June 23, 2012 By 11 Comments
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Focusing on the why's of our chronic pain is natural, but instead, we should focus on how to trust God with our daily chronic pain. “Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God'? The Lord is the everlasting God . . . and His understanding no one can fathom” (Isaiah 40:27, 28). One of my weaknesses is in wanting to understand the “whys” behind something before I accept it. I wish I fully knew how to trust God, regardless of my circumstances. The need to know what to expect has created problems in many areas of my life including my relationship with God, particularly where my health problems are concerned. In his book Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby … [Read more...]

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Devotion: What We Think Can Affect How We Feel: The Mind-Body Connection

April 19, 2012 By 17 Comments
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“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7 KJV) We hear a lot these days about mind/body connections. Not surprisingly, God’s Word spoke about that long before now. There are various verses in Scripture confirming that our thoughts and emotions affect our bodies. I have seen this in my own body over the past 15 years. I typically react to difficulties with fear, anxiety, or depression. Literally within minutes of thinking about or feeling negative thoughts and emotions, I will get a migraine or tension headache, have a panic attack, or become extremely fatigued. It takes great effort to fight these responses. It is much easier to give in than to put up a fight and respond differently. When recently faced with … [Read more...]

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Devotion: Living Within the Limits Which Our Loving God Has Given Us

February 15, 2012 By 6 Comments
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“I know, O Lord that Your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness You have afflicted me” (Psalm 119:75). One of the hardest aspects of my health problems is the limitations which they bring. With each restriction, I have had to go through a cycle of frustration, grieving, and fighting before coming to acceptance. Although sugar has given me headaches for 20 years, I still struggle with giving it up; it has taken me years to accept that my perfectionistic vacuuming is not worth days of back pain afterwards. I am currently adjusting to limited reading and computer time because of eye problems. There are activities I can no longer do with friends or family. I realize these issues may seem insignificant to those whose problems are … [Read more...]

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Devotion: Living a Balanced Life, Even When Illness Threatens Our Scales

February 3, 2012 By 4 Comments
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“May the God of peace. . . equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him” (Hebrews 13: 20,21). Birds have an amazing sense of balance. Whether perching on thin wires or hanging on bird feeders, they maintain their stability. As I watch birds, I am aware of my own need for balance in life. I need balance in my physical activities so that I don’t overextend myself with housework, shopping, or exercise and suffer later. I need balance in my relationships so that I don’t become overly burdened with the problems of others, but rather trust that God is using these trials to work out His plan in their lives. I need balance in handling my emotions so that when the downward cycles … [Read more...]

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Devotion: We Need to Remember That God Is True Refuge

January 14, 2012 By 5 Comments
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“I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I will trust" (Psalm 91:2). Four hours from me lies the island of Assateague, Virginia. The area is a combination of public beach and national wildlife refuge. As a bird watcher I greatly enjoy visiting the area. In summer the place is full of tourists. In the winter it becomes a rather cold and lonely place, but if one is willing to brave the elements there are many different species of birds to be seen. A wildlife refuge provides “a sheltered or protected state from something threatening, harmful, or unpleasant.” We might think of a haven, sanctuary, or harbor. When I read the analogy of the Lord being my refuge I think of Assateague, … [Read more...]

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Devotion: Courage to Face the New Year

January 5, 2012 By 2 Comments
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“Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Go out and face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you" (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17). For many people, the new year brings feelings of optimism and hope. For us with ongoing health problems that may not be the case. We may have a “vast army” of problems, and unless God performs a miracle, the new year will bring more of the same old battles and perhaps new ones. Trying to be optimistic is indeed a challenge. I think the word “battle” is very appropriate to describe ongoing problems with pain. I experience exhaustion and depression from the battle of trying to stay on top of whatever problems are troubling me at the time. … [Read more...]

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Devotion: A New Heart for A New Year

December 31, 2011 By 4 Comments
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“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). I like new things. Not that I don’t appreciate the old, but new things do bring me earthly satisfaction. And God knows I am in need of a new heart. My sinful, hardened heart--which controls my thoughts, emotions, and actions - does not handle pain and suffering well. In Beth Moore’s study on Believing God, she says that with our new hearts we have new thinking, new reflections, new memory, new resolutions and determinations of will, and new emotions … [Read more...]

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Devotion: Glorifying God in the “Deaths” of Our Pain and Illness

October 11, 2011 By 5 Comments
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“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20). Although I love fall, I experience mixed feelings during this season. I enjoy the beautiful colors and crisp days, but I physically feel the effects of the colder weather and know that winter is coming. A statement from one of my daughter’s friends impacted me greatly: “I wonder if fall is God’s way of inviting us to consider that the deaths he calls us to can be beautiful” (Alex Kirk). This thought spoke to me in several ways. One relates to my physical death. When I die I will experience the wonders of my eternal heavenly … [Read more...]

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Devotion: Staying Under God’s Protective Canopy

April 8, 2011 By 2 Comments
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"The Lord God will create. . . a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place form the storm and rain." (Isaiah 4:5.6) Each spring my husband puts up a canopy over our patio. It provides a lovely place for me to sit and enjoy my birds and flowers. When I read the above verse, I think of this canopy. Our patio receives the afternoon sun. During the summer months it would be almost unbearable to sit there without the covering the canopy provides. And although it protects me from the intensity of the heat, I am still able to see and enjoy my surroundings. It is not a suffocating, imprisoning protection … [Read more...]

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Devotion: The Definition of Apotheosis: Changed to Reflect God through Our Pain

March 15, 2011 By 2 Comments
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"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord. . ." (2 Corinthians 3:18). I first read the word "apotheosis" in an advent devotional last year. It means "changed to reflect God" so that we transform our outlook on everyday situations and experiences into opportunities for God to be revealed. I had expectations of living each day with that outlook, but I must admit I have many failures along with successes. I recently had a colonoscopy and was hoping I would reflect God through it. I managed to tell the nurse I liked her cross necklace and soon after that dissolved into tears over pain and problems with the IV's. Such was the … [Read more...]

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Devotion – Waves of Doubt When Living with Illness

August 7, 2010 By 2 Comments

"When he asks, he must believe & not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown & tossed by the wind" (James 1:6). I recently took a trip to the beach. In years past, I loved riding a good wave in to the shore. This trip was different. I tried swimming out in the ocean, but was sucked under by a wave. I tried st&ing in the water, but the strength needed to maintain my balance was too difficult for me, causing my back & stomach muscles to spasm. I spent the remainder of the trip looking at the ocean rather than being in it. Many of us may know the sensation of being pulled under & tossed by a breaking wave. It can be frightening as well as dangerous. When I doubt or question God & His faithfulness, I may experience … [Read more...]

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Devotion – Deliverance or Survival

June 1, 2010 By 2 Comments

“The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death & keep them alive in famine (Psalm 33:18, 19). This verse speaks to me of two possible scenarios - times when God totally delivers us from difficult situations & times when He brings us through them. I prefer deliverance, but that is not always best for my spiritual growth. I recently visited one of my daughters alone. The five & a half hour drive was challenging, but God enabled me to do it. Of course I was hoping to feel well during my visit since we had an agenda of activities. I developed a headache on my drive down. By the evening it was a severe migraine which stayed with me for my entire trip, despite … [Read more...]

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