For as long as my lungs have bled, I have wanted a doctor with enough wisdom to explain why my body continues to grow bad blood vessels and how to stop it from growing more.
On the other side of human limits we find hope in the infinite strength and wisdom of God. Where man’s abilities end we can find a new beginning — to trust “in the name of the Lord our God.”
Read MoreI have one more reason to love biographies — they help me appreciate people, even people I disagree with. When I learn how a person came to think and behave the way they do/did, it is much easier for me to understand what they said and why they said it. It’s like taking a crash course in one specific person’s life. Once I have learned to understand a person, I can learn to appreciate their impact on the world.
I’ve got a list to get you started. And if you already enjoy reading biographies, then you’ll love this list too because I’m confident you will find one or two that are new to you.
Read MoreVascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Say that three times fast. It’s the name of the condition I carry deep in my genetic code. Maybe you carry the weight of a hard-to-say, even-harder-to-explain rare disease. Maybe your diagnosis isn’t even named yet and you’re in a frustrating cycle of doctors’ visits, tests, and endless waiting. With all of the appointments and daily management of our disease, we can easily let these identifications become our identity.
Our rare disease can take up a lot of our time, but it must not take preeminence in our hearts.
Read MoreNowhere else do I have as much self-doubt as I do in motherhood. Moms need to be reminded that they are doing good work and doing it well. Moms need other moms. God in his wisdom understands that.
Moms are busy. While we are busy loving others, we can also lose hope for ourselves. This is what community is for. When you have lost the ability to hope all things, you need friends to remind you that God still sees you, still loves you, and is still for you.
Read MoreThe hard task of climbing is good for me. I intentionally choose the challenge of climbing because I trust that it is good for me and I desire the results. Most days, I don’t look forward to the challenge but I love the “I’m alive!” feeling I get after the climb.
I feel the same way about reading God’s Word. Tempting thoughts come every day as I sit down to read and I must shove them aside and choose the challenge of focusing, reading, and listening. My reward is the feeling of intimacy with God I get during those times. I never regret the effort.
In The Scars That Have Shaped Me, Vaneetha Rendall Risner 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.
A quick read packed with great theology. Vaneetha vulnerably reminds her reader of the unchanging character of God, even in the midst of illness and loss.
Read More
