Devotion: Are You Listening to God as Much as You are Talking to Him About Your Illness?

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"I am like the deaf, who cannot hear, like the mute, who cannot speak," (Psalm 38:13) My mother lives two states away, and neither of us are much able to travel and see each other, so we talk to each other on the phone. From time to time my mother has issues either with her computer or her television set, and calls me with questions. Often she is so busy asking me questions about the problem that she doesn't take time to listen to what I'm saying. I will tell her: "Mom, you can't listen if you are talking." I sometimes wonder if God would say the same thing to us? We can get so busy in our lives that we do not take time to listen to God, to read His word, to speak, and then be silent in prayer before Him. We can get so caught up in … [Read more...]

Devotion: There Is More to Life Than Illness

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“I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.” (Psalm 34:1-2) “You look so good.” That’s often the greeting of a friend. My favorite response is, “It’s prayer and make-up.” I offer a brief reply in the attempt to divert attention away from me. My life has to be more than multiple sclerosis (MS). But should I be so quick to change the subject? Wouldn’t it be better to seize the moment and give God the glory? The message I hope to convey, but often fail to send is: The joy of the Lord is my strength. My challenge is to come close to the example set by Paul. “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for … [Read more...]

Devotion: The Need to De-clutter With a Disease

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“A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. In faithfulness He will bring forth justice.” (Isaiah 42:3) Got clutter? Maybe you have an “everything drawer” where a variety of things land. Scotch tape. A screw driver. Lipstick. A puzzle piece. Several unidentifiable key. . . I’m here to admit I’ve accumulated tons of clutter. My corners, drawers, and closets overfloweth. I’ve saved every file from my teacher training 34 years ago. Every memento from family excursions were tucked away (never to be seen again!). My motto: you never know when you might need it. When in doubt, keep it. The wonderful thing about having multiple sclerosis (MS) is that I have an excuse. I’ve used all my … [Read more...]

Devotion: When Loneliness Kicks In, God Will Sustain You

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“I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me” (Psalm 3:5). As a single person who’s chronically ill, I’ve gone through many medical tests and procedures by myself. Occasionally, my friend or my sister goes with me, but many visits I go in alone and I come out alone. Experiencing such loneliness at a time of unknown is disheartening to say the least. Recently, I underwent a new treatment and as I was heading in to the doctor’s office, I received two text messages and an email on my phone letting me know I was prayed for and thought of (BIG thank you to my two friends Karen, Kim, and sister Gretchen). That meant the world to me. But more importantly, they reminded me that I wasn’t alone because God was … [Read more...]

Devotion: God Collects Your Every Tear Through the Pain

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“Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll--are they not in your record?” (Psalm 56:8) I love watching someone’s tears being wiped away by a loving parent, relative, or friend. That interaction is so precious. Maybe it’s seeing the concern and care taken to collect each and every tear. Maybe it’s knowing someone else cares so much about you they will gladly wipe away your tears that stirs my heart. Whatever the reason, it’s an emotional scene for sure. For those of us going through hard situations, tough physical challenges or tight finances, tears can be a regular occurrence. When I read this passage, the tenderness expressed by David here made me shed some tears. Several other versions say it this way, “You … [Read more...]

Devotion: A Challenging Doctor’s Appointment With God As My Strength

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"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; His love endures forever." (Psalm 118). It has been one of those weeks where I’ve realized how important it is to rely on my faith. My illness has caused added symptoms and made things difficult. My doctor wasn’t in so I saw his partner for a sick visit. He didn’t agree with my own physician’s treatment plan and challenged it and my condition. He didn’t want to give me the IV therapy necessary to hydrate and stabilize me. As I laid on the examining table--for if I sat up I was dizzy and weak--I had to extrapolate medical information from my brain of what I had; how I knew I had it and why I didn’t have the disease this doctor surmised. It was a surreal experience. I survived the … [Read more...]

Devotion: Illness May Sap My Energy, But I Won’t Let it Touch My Hope

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“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 (Corinthians 4:16) Americans love big helpings. My weakness is peanut butter fudge ice cream. And so is Italian food. I’m also a huge fan of caramel apples. In fact, all three would make the perfect meal! But doctors warn us that overindulgence can be bad for our health. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could simply order things that would improve our emotional condition? Are you in despair? How ‘bout ordering a huge helping of "hope"? Anyone--especially those with disabilities--can never have too much of that! Having a disease like multiple sclerosis (MS) can lead to helplessness. My feeble attempts to feel … [Read more...]

Devotion: When God Passes You a Note of His Love, It Weakens Illness in Our Life

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"You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." (2 Corinthians 3:3) Do you remember passing notes in school? Us girls always seemed to have a need to put the most basic of thoughts or questions down on paper, fold them up in little shapes and maybe write the recipient's name on it; it likely even included a few doodled stars or hearts. Occasionally, we even passed a note along to a boy. Like the country song George Strait sings, "Yes or No", we would write "Do you wanna be my friend? / Check yes or no" and include the little boxes beside the yes or no. A yes. . . or a no. . . could determine … [Read more...]

Devotion: Facing The Goliaths In Our Daily Walk With Chronic Illness

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“Deliver me from my enemies, O God; be my fortress against those who are attacking me.” (Psalm 59:1) The inspiration for this devotional message came to me after reading Eugene Peterson’s, Leap Over a Wall: Earthy Spirituality for Everyday Christiansreflections on the Life of David from. The ESV translation of the above Psalm adds perspective. “. . .O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me." I was reminded, returning to 1 Samuel 17, how well known Bible accounts can bring new insights if I look for them. Here is a recap: Saul and his troops had been bullied for forty days by the Philistine giant, Goliath. His imposing figure, armor, and arrogant confidence had them stymied in fear even though they were … [Read more...]

Devotion: Cycling Through The Grief of Chronic Illness – Again and Again

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"My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, and make music." (Psalm 57:7) Father, I long to sing these words. I long to sing to You, with a feeling of steadfastness! In the New Webster's Dictionary the word "steadfast" is an adjective, meaning; firm, fixed, constant. Another line stated that steadfast means constant in behavior or calm and controlled. With my whole heart, I know that the Lord is faithful and loving. I already know by heart that He is always present and caring for me. Yet I live in this body and deal with chronic pain and fatigue--every hour of every day. And along with the pain and fatigue I worry about things like our finances; just covering our medical bills is so hard. As I struggle, … [Read more...]

Devotion: Disease? It’s No Joke! But We Can Still Find Seasons to Smile

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". . . A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” (Ecclesiastes 3:4) “You have multiple sclerosis (MS).” My doctor sat motionless, as if to brace himself for my reaction. “How bad is it?” He answered simply, “You’re acute.” In the midst of the dismal diagnosis, I enjoyed some private humor. Oh, he thinks I'm cute! How nice Acute meant severe. The MRI of my brain revealed lesions too many to count. The countless scars in my head led the neurologist to report, “Mrs. Chandler certainly has MS.” Not possibly. “Certainly.” It wasn’t good. Surely, this was a time to cry. But humor is a welcome companion in my life. So I chose to let him guide my thoughts temporarily. It was a … [Read more...]

Devotion: How God Can Use Your Affliction to Bring You Closer to Him

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"It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold” (Psalm 119:71-72). From my journal during a recent health battle I wrote the following. . . The nausea and back pain are getting worse. All I want to do is sit by my fireplace, put some heat on my back and open the Word. I love how the Word instantly calms my anxiousness and restores my inner peace. Why is it then that I only seem to read my Bible and pray when I’m sick, tired, or frustrated? Dear God, I know how important it is for me to spend time with You daily, but yet I do not do it. I know that when I do make my quiet time with You a priority my day starts off … [Read more...]