Monthly Archives: July 2019

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One God and Father

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Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.  1 Corinthians 8:6

Yesterday was another rough day.  I had a dentist appointment, met with my trainer briefly and went to the doctor.  Prior to illness taking over my life, working these in around my job and responsibilities at home would have been nothing exceptional.   They were minor adjustments to my normal routine.  However, yesterday, they wiped me out and left me pretty useless.  Some days, the thought of getting out of bed and simple routine tasks such as taking a shower can be daunting and insurmountable.  While chronic illness seems to bring with it a regular cycle of pain and fatigue leaving one feeling alone, defeated, and useless, other trials in life like the death of a loved one or a job loss can do the same until they are resolved or the critical stage has passed.  In an effort to combat those feelings consider the following passages about God and His perspective. 

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Encouraging Counsel

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Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.  For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion.  But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.   Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

A few weeks ago, I took my wife’s car in for service.  While working on it, they found that three of the light bulbs were out and asked if I wanted them to replace them.  After a brief discussion, I decided to try to save some money and do it myself.  While simple enough for many, it was not that for me.  As is the case with many of us with chronic illness, I had to mentally gear up for something new, get the parts and then have the energy to attack the project.  Knowing my limitations, I searched for and reviewed a few “how to” videos.  The light bulb over the license plate didn’t go quite as instructed or planned but I managed to get it replaced after a fair amount of effort.  However, the rear side marker lights didn’t fare so well.  There were two clips holding the trunk liner in place that I could not get out.  Thankfully, the next day our son-in-law Corey figured it out and showed me the error of my ways allowing me to complete the task.  Without his counsel, I was failing, but with his counsel I succeeded.  In this case, the situation was rather benign; however, often times counsel is needed in more difficult circumstances.  If we are to be a helpful and encouraging companion, we need to be discerning in our approach to counsel. 

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The Love of our Father

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See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.  1 John 3:1

As the father of two, I have a greater understanding of God’s love for us than prior to parenthood.  My wife and I have very different personalities and our daughters have followed suit.  In most ways our older daughter’s personality is more like mine while our younger daughter’s is more like her mother’s.   My relationship with my daughters is equally different.  Adrienne and I think alike, understand each other more readily and both enjoy music and dancing.  Christine and I have to work harder to understand each other, but make the effort.  I’m not sure either of us enjoys painting our homes, but we enjoy doing it together and make a great team.  We also share a love of gardening…allowing us to go to a plant store together is financially risky.  I love and am truly grateful for both of our daughters and could not imagine my life without either of them.  The same is true of our Heavenly Father’s relationship with each of us.  We each have different personalities, talents and character flaws.  We are at different places in our lives as well as at different places in our faith and spiritual maturity.  Further, our Father has different plans for us.  As a result, we have different needs; therefore, His provisions for us and the life experiences that He has ordained for us will be as varied as the structure of snowflakes…no two are alike. As a result, his children often struggle to understand His love for them.

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Thankful Heart

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Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name.   Psalm 30:4

Life with an invisible illness can be tricky.  There are limitations which others cannot see that become frustrating.  They are vexing because one cannot do the things that they used to do or would like to do.  They may be annoying to others as they expect more than the illness allows one to deliver.  It’s a balance to be maintained as well as managing the illness itself.  But then, all trials present limitations and hurdles that must be managed or overcome.  In the fray, it’s easy to lose sight of the blessings of life and to be thankful for them.  This holiday week, my illness has been pushed to the background to focus on better things as I truly have a thankful heart. 

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