Lyme disease – Page 40 – Jesus is for the Wounded

Do You Know Him?

Published on April 15, 2013April 15, 2013 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

He’s so dreamy. I mean that if I close my eyes it’s like I can imagine soft blue eyes looking lovingly at me, telling me He knows me just as I am, He loves me just as I am, and He will always be the love of my life.

He’s so tall as well. He towers over me and it is good as He protects me, carries me when I collapse, lifts me up when I am weak, and draws me up close to His warm embrace. Somehow I feel taller and stand straighter when He is near.

He’s so strong. It’s as if I can feel the strength of His arms, His words, His promises to me and all good things whether or not He is actually present. Makes me stronger too. I can face this or that, good or bad, when His strength goes before me. Always.

He’s so smart. He knows what I am thinking even before I say it or I might raise an eyebrow or lower a tear! Wow. That goes beyond intuition, friendship, or our times together getting to know one another. He crafts many special times for me that may look questionable at the time, yet if I but trust Him, it all works out o.k. over time. It’s like He’s always known me and knows what is best for me.

He’s so encouraging. He brings me to the window to see the bluebirds back at the bluebird house this Spring before the little cutie flies away and would otherwise be missed. What a wonderful encouragement on a day that starts in the afternoon! Oh and His words are filled with hope and promise of a better day in addition to the reminders of our sweet times together in the past too. Thank you for helping me to remember.

He’s so thoughtful. He reminds me of the blessings of many days gone by when my stinking thinking has gone to a place of darkness. He also places in my path the loving arms of my hubby when my Stevers would normally be at work already and not able to calm the shaking of my tender frame. He allows him to become like Him with skin on.

He does want the best for me. Like a perfect father, like a perfect grandparent, like a best friend, he will be with me now and forever, leading me on to be the best woman I can be if I but follow Him. He’ll let me know what I need to know if I but wait at His feet with an open heart, an open mind. What an adventure we have together!

Yes, this person is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is real. He is in my heart now and forevermore.

Do you know Him too?

The Old Makes Way for the New

Published on April 12, 2013April 12, 2013 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

^{Phillipians 4}Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

A broken vessel could be a metaphor for my life these 1 1/2 years. Then again, I could just start from today, praise the Lord for His enduring Spirit, mercy and grace, then move on! Since today is a new day, I’ll choose the latter.

Besides, if you look closer, you’ll see the buds on the branches of the lilac bush emerging from the broken vase below. Can you see them? They are the signs of new life that can come with each new day. Noting that I cut these branches to increase the flower production on the plant adds additional meaning: sometimes our lives must be pruned to free us for the blessings to come either in this life or the next.

For those in Christ Jesus, we know that he will work all things together for good (Romans 8:28). We can trust him in the times of new growth, the times of pruning, the times of brokenness and the times of loss all the same. Wow. So glad I learned this when my life totally changed 10 years ago. Well I mean that it took 10 years to understand the transforming power of the gospel, working in the lives of His friends, His children, His people. The Lord’s love and care is working in me too.

My hubby says that I should use a plastic vase instead of a glass one outside. Yeah, he’s right. Glad this episode of brokenness is an easy one to fix! I’ll let go of the vase, fill another with the waters of life and embrace the newness that is growing all around me. (Reference: see the second picture please!)

Hmmmmmm, I think there’s something growing inside me too. Little by little, the illness I have is transforming as well. Praise the Lord! :J

Now that’s making lemonade out of lemons!

Published on April 8, 2013April 8, 2013 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

girlinrain536970_170993983054615_2036209222_n — Now that’s making lemonade out of lemons!

I’m grateful to have gone for a walk this evening with my hubby, Steve, and our pup, Elle. I had to walk gingerly as the headache wasn’t yet gone. At least this time I didn’t have to stop and catch my breath three times! Overall I’d say that taking a walk is not a bad recovery from 14 total hours with seizure attacks over the past day. Lord have mercy! The Francisca Battistelli concert and warm up acts were too loud for my central nervous system, I guess. Not even the Bose headphones were able to protect me. Thankfully, the music was good . . .

So, to quote a credit card commercial, “what’s in your wallet?” I mean, from where do you draw your reserve when you don’t have the physical, emotional, mental resources to face the obligations of the day? When your mind or body act out in pain or sorrow, from where do you draw your strength, your hope? For me it is from the Lord Jesus Christ. I cry out to the One who called me, saved me, knows me, hears me, comforts me, and has a promise and a hope to deliver me some day. I may not be dancing in the rain tonight, but I am coping reasonably well even while the tears are raining down my cheeks. And when my cheeks are dry again, my Lord helps me get moving again, not me. I am too weak. In response I say, “thank you.” Thank you for sustaining me this wacky day. Thank you for sending me my angelic husband to care for my needs when I could not get out of bed. I know that this too shall pass and the worst has indeed passed for now. I know there’s someone out there that needs hope too. I want you to know that in this moment, I am good . . .

²⁸And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[i] have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

And you can be good too, if but on the inside . . .

Trust God. Love People.

Published on April 5, 2013April 5, 2013 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

I thought I would be feeling better by now. After all, we remediated our home for mold at great expense and disruption to our lives. The Lord provided a good part of the resources to cover many of these expenses; in time He will replenish all of our resources. In the meantime, our home looks lovely as it’s really clean and the carpeting/vinyl flooring now sports a Canadian Maple engineered hardwood. Wow. I really like it!

But I still have knife-like headaches and feel sick. I fear seizure attacks every evening, especially when falling asleep or waking up in the morning. Thankfully, I haven’t had one in the last day and one-half. I got pretty close with multiple nauseating “pre-tic” episodes yet no full-blown neuromuscular events. Thank you Jesus!

So why am I so down? Who knows. It’s part of dealing with chronic illness and part of deepening my faith in the One who has crafted this life of mine. I must stay in moments more tiny than ever before, where I can find peace, comfort, and even joy. I must stay with a grateful heart and humility. However, to strive harder to do any of these things will hurt me. I’m just not that perfect! Guess I won’t work on the house any more today, like putting up drapes that were dry cleaned. All of this stuff of life can wait. My time is now with you, gentle reader, and with my Savior.

Prayerfully I seek so much when the point is really just to dwell with the one true God, the person Who is God: Jesus. Yes, it blesses Him to pray and is my calling as a believer, to make my needs known. It grows my faith and keeps me in a right relationship with the sovereign Creator, to look to Him for answers and not the people/places/things of this world. Love people. Hold places and things lightly as they are transient. Instead, I shall put my trust in the Lord who transcends them all infinitely.

In His bigness that is inconceivable in my finite mind, my Lord and Savior has a plan for even this headache, this difficulty functioning, these tears held back so I can see the computer screen. And if He has a plan for me despite my misery, He has a plan for you despite yours too. The Lord cares. The Lord cries with you and me. The Lord loves us more than anyone or anything in this life. We are His when we confess our sin, seek forgiveness, and once (and forever) accept Him as Lord and Savior of our lives. That is all you and I have to do!

How do I know all of these things? I mean, people blog anything these days, seeking notoriety for their own meaningless thoughts that would never stand a test of time let alone eternity. I know these things and these things are true because it is written in His Word. It is written on our hearts that yearn for unfailing love. It is written in our minds that yearn for answers, for truth. It is reflected in the beautiful complexity of creation all around us. Chaos Theory did not know that I needed to catch a glimpse of the bluebirds flying back to our bird feeder my first morning when I felt “in shock” after being away from home 76 days! It was His omniscience! It is the absolute truth to the mystery of our questions of: “what is life?” and “why are we here?” And it is woven into each and every yearning soul. We know and believe because He has revealed Himself to us in His Word.

Have you been in The Word lately? Follow me to a place where you can start reading about the One in Whom we both can place our trust. I’ll meet you there. I know it’s late or you’re busy or you gotta go to the bathroom! Just take a minute to start. It could change your life. It just renewed mine . . .