Choose Joy

I just started the book Choose Joy which is very popular right now. It is made from blog posts Sara Frankl wrote before she died of a disease that is ten times more horrendous than anything I have to deal with. That is intimidating.

I have sometimes complained of the low numbers of Christian bloggers who keep it real when it comes to chronic illness and pain. I have prided myself on the many coping tools I use. I have grown in my faith and praise Jesus so much more than ever until I have a 10+ pain day and then where is my faith?

I realized as I ended the first chapter it's not about comparisons. I am reminding myself of what I say in my post Worst thing  on my other blog but it applies here also. What ever your worst symptom or pain  level is or has been, it is your worst thing.
 It is the place where hope is losing and fear charges in. It is full of doubt and confusion and I believe not from God. It is what we try so hard to stay away from. Sometimes a new symptom or unrelated illness pops in and takes you to a place worse than your previous worse thing. How do you survive?

The most important way (along side all of my coping tools, lol ) I know is surrender. Not to the disease but to God and to rest in His arms. I can't do this without Him. That is how I am inspired by the first chapter of Choose Joy.

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