Hello, my friend, [[firstname]]
Wow, seems like just yesterday I sent off the
last message to you, and here we are again - another
week has flown by! Funny how they drag when we
are uncomfortable or in pain, yet, go quickly
when there is something we need to do!
I hope that you have had some moments of joy.
But maybe you are all out of joy. The holidays
can be a really difficult time for many people.
While everyone around us seems to be talking about
parties and friends, gifts and dinners, we are
on limited budgets, friends have thinned out,
we can't afford to give many gifts (if any at
all. . . ) It can be, simply. . . depressing!
If you have read some of the posts on my Twitter
or Facebook
page you know that I too suffer from the temptation
to get frustrated over the challenges of living
with a chronic illness. For example, when I posted
a couple of weeks ago that I was going to have
to have the splint on for two additional weeks
someone wrote back, "I'm sure you will
survive."
I told my mom, "I know I will survive.
It's not as if I'm going to fall over dead on
the sidewalk. It's just frustrating, painful,
and very inconvenient."
There are times when no one can say the right
thing. . . and then I am told at least someone
is saying "something." But then the
"somethings" are all emails zipped off.
When it comes to needing a ride to physical therapy
it's like asking someone to fly me to the moon.
(See what I mean about my "attitude"?
It's all over the place!) It's times like this
I wonder why on earth God has ever put
me in a position to minister to others when
I am so much more spiritually weak than you. I
may complain about not being able to drive another
month while many of you have not been able to
drive for years.
As with any experience that I go through with
my chronic condition, however, I pray that God
will use it--not only glorify Him, but also for
me to be more aware of how much each of you suffer
with on a daily basis, and how you overcome it
with an amazing sense of peace and positive attitude!
Please know that it is because of your prayers
and inspiration that I continue to take one day
at a time, while also imagining what God can do
with all of us to change the world.
Here is a quote I love from Nancie Guthrie's
book, "Hearing
Jesus Speak":
"To
experience and exude peace when life is crashing
down around you, to have the lightness of joy
when the weight of sorrow is heavy, to be grateful
for what God has given you when you've lost
what is most precious to you-that is God at
work on the interior of your life, on display
in your life. It is the light of God piercing
the darkness of this world.
Certainly
all this is part of God's purpose for the suffering
and sorrow in your life. Can you hear Jesus
speaking into your sorrow, telling you that
he has a purpose for your pain, a good purpose
that will infuse your loss with meaning as you
show the world the difference a connectedness
to Jesus makes in the lowest places of life?"
Many of us have heard of Sheila Walsh. Maybe
you once watched her as co-host of The 700
Club. Perhaps you've listened to her music,
or have had the honor to hear her speak at one
of the popular Women of Faith conferences.
In this video she shares her struggles with the
real issues in life - depression, poverty and
more. And these aren't issues from decades past,
but just in the last few years. She shares how
she would throw up on the plane every time she
flew home from a Woman of Faith Conference because
she didn't know what she was coming home to. Her
family lost a great deal of money and she describes
her husband's depression and how he just began
to "disappear."
In
this video Sheila Walsh is interviewed on Life
Today by James and Betty Robison. They describe
the video on Tangle.com as "Sheila accounts
her recent struggles with marriage, finances and
depression which are the impetus of the book 'Let
Go.'
The events and revelations prior to, during and
in the wake of these events are riveting. Her
amazingly courageous testimony here...which culminated
in a stunning and tearful revelation from her
son Christian, paints an indelible portrait of
sacrifice, trust, perseverance and forgiveness...the
cornerstones of peace through Christ. I sincerely
hope you find it as inspirational."
If you are suffering, or have a spouse who is
going through a deep depression, this interview
will surely bless and encourage you. The link
is here: http://ow.ly/9UwT
If you are dealing with depression right now,
I found an encouraging web page about depression
at Christian Answers of "What should a Christian
do if overwhelmed with depression?" at http://tinyurl.com/yfdepgg
Keeping you in prayer,
Lisa Copen, Rest Ministries Founder
Rest Ministries Chronic Illness Pain Support
