Nicole O'Meara - words of hope for Christians living with rare disease and chronic illness

The first devotional made me cry, not out of sadness, but from a sense of connection I have never before felt to Joni. She described what it felt like to have COVID as a paralyzed person. In her words, it was “suffocating.” Seeing that word in black and white took me back in an instant to being in the Emergency Room in 2021 and feeling like I was suffocating from the bleed in my lungs. My pulse raced and tears I couldn’t stop leaked out my eyes. Something of the fear of that memory returned but this time, it was accompanied by a feeling of knowing. Joni knew what it was like for me because she had felt it too.

That feeling of being known and understood returned several times as I read through Songs of Suffering. Our situations are remarkably different, but Joni shares many of the same feelings I have experienced. I’m sure that is true for other readers and for other reasons. Perhaps even you.

Blog, Book ReviewNicole O'MearaAugust 30, 2023suffering, hymns, music, devotional, Joni Eareckson TadaComment

Book Review: The Scars that have Shaped Me

In The Scars That Have Shaped Me, Vaneetha Rendall Risner shares the spiritual journey represented by her scars. She shares her story of life-long illness (Polio & Post-Polio Syndrome) and trials (death of a child and loss of her marriage) with simple writing and honesty.

Each chapter is written like a journal entry or blogpost making this book a quick read. It may be quick but it's also packed with great theology. With vulnerability, Vaneetha reminds herself and her reader of the unchanging character of God, even in the midst of illness and loss. While my own scars and suffering are different, I found I could relate to something in every chapter which is a testimony to the presence of the same God with both of us.

In her book, you’ll find many of the same themes I write about: lament, waiting, loneliness, acceptance and dependence on God, and the sustaining grace of His presence.

Blog, Book ReviewNicole O'MearaSeptember 7, 2021book review, lament, rare disease, chronic disease, scarsComment

Book Reviews: Undone (a Memoir) and Relentless by Michele Cushatt

In Undone, Michele shares openly all the emotions and faith questions that she experienced through her cancer experience. In Relentless, Michele walks you through the next phase of her life when cancer returns, when the orphans they brought home become theirs for life, and when she grieves the loss of her Dad to his own battle with cancer. It is personal, gut-wrenching, and oh so relatable.

Blog, Book ReviewNicole O'MearaJune 1, 2021cancer, faith, book reviewComment

Entwined Together: Receiving the Gift of Community {GUEST POST}

While studying the life of David and the three trees referenced in Psalm 52 and 92, I was struck by the role community played in David’s life. From the band of mighty men who travelled with him during his years of exile, to the military leaders who advised him, to the prophet Nathan who held him accountable and wasn’t afraid to have the tough conversations, to his friendship with King Saul’s son, Jonathan, community helped shaped David into the king he became. His gifts were maximised and his weaknesses strengthened because of the presence of other men in his life. And community can bring this same beauty to our own lives if we will allow it to.

We all need friends like Jonathan and David in our lives—friends who remind us of who God is, who cause us to look upwards and not be overcome by our circumstances, friends who call forth what God has spoken over our lives and strengthen us to keep contending. But as much as we need them, we must also be them.

Blog, Book ReviewNicole O'MearaApril 23, 2021communityComment

Book Reviews: Devotionals from 2020

Devotionals are a great way to start a habit of meeting daily in a Quiet Time with God. If you’d like help starting a daily devotion time, please email me or leave a comment below. I’d love to help you. I’m thankful for quality devotionals that lead me to a scripture and give me something to think on during a busy day or busy season.

Here are a few devotionals that I’ve had my hands on recently.

Blog, Book ReviewNicole O'MearaDecember 5, 2020Devotional, bible study, book review Comment

In Everything Give Thanks, a Book Review of A Chance to Die: the Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael

Missionary, Amy Carmichael, made a sign with the words, “In everything, give thanks,” and marked each corner with the initials of hardships she was enduring. She gilded the edges and hung that sign in her cabin. Every time she looked upon it, she thanked God for the things represented by those initials, including rats and cockroaches.

When something is difficult, like rats, a chronic disease, a struggling marriage, or ADHD, it is not for us to know how God will work things out to be good. The answer, the motivation for thanking God for these difficult things is that God is good.

Upon reflection, I realized I have never thanked God for my undiagnosed bleeding disorder. I have not thanked him for a horrendous experience in the ICU or for the loss of my lung. I did thank him for teaching me beautiful truths through those experiences but I have never thanked him for the experiences themselves.

So, I made my own sign, “In everything give thanks,” and I jotted down initials of my own personal sufferings in the corners and I placed it on my bedside table. I have intentionally thanked God for each of those things for two weeks now. He is teaching me to be satisfied with his goodness in the midst of my suffering.

Because I love this lesson so much, I made signs for you too. You can download a card and write your own initials in the corners.

Blog, Book ReviewNicole O'MearaSeptember 22, 2020missionary, suffering, Thanksgiving, chronic disease, book review Comments

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