Lessons Learned

God has taught me a lot over the years with a chronic illness. One of the things that I have learned is to be content with my health and physical limitations. It would be great to be able to walk a lot, climb, and run again, but there is much more to life than physical strength and energy. Besides, I really don’t have it so bad. There are people in the world who are more disabled than I am, but don’t have anyone to take care of them. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband, son, and family to help me. I have a wheelchair and a comfortable bed at night. Many people don’t have that.

I have learned that I need to embrace this life that God has given me, not simply be content with it. Because of what we have been through, God can use Will and me in ways that He couldn’t if my health were good.

I have learned that God has a plan and a purpose even in suffering. He can use my health problems for my good and for His glory. God is at work and He has a plan that is far better than anything we can imagine! There are things that God has taught me that I wouldn’t have learned were it not for what I’ve been through because of my health. Sometimes we have to take the painful road to learn, but if it brings us closer to God then it is worth every step of the way.

I have learned more about God’s sovereignty. Yes, God is sovereign and He could heal me if He chose to do so. However, since God is sovereign, He is under no obligation to heal me. He is God! He can do whatever pleases Him and brings Him glory. We often put God in a little box and think of Him as simply someone from Whom to ask favors. However, we need to keep in mind that God is so much bigger than we can understand. He is completely holy, all powerful, all knowing, and all wise. God is in control. He is not bound by time. He is above all. He is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. God is also loving, patient, gracious and He longs to hear from His children. He wants us to pray to Him, but when we do, let’s not forget Who we are talking to! We are talking to the Maker and Sustainer of the Universe!

I have learned that I can trust God no matter what. There are a lot of unknowns that come along with living with dysautonomia. So far treatment hasn't produced any dramatic improvement in my health. Barring a miracle I will probably be disabled for the rest of my life. But that is okay. I want whatever God's will is for me. I want God to be glorified in my life whether I am sick or healthy. If living a life with a disability will bring the most glory to God, then so be it. After considering all He has done for me, suffering a little bit for a few years on earth is a small sacrifice to make. God made the ultimate sacrifice for me when He sent His Son to die on the cross. Jesus died a horrible death. The situation was not good, but God used it for great good - the salvation of all who believe!!! Jesus knows what suffering is. God knows what sacrifice is. I can certainly trust Him to know what He is doing in my life. It is worth following God and obeying Him at any cost.