Thank you, Kat, for sharing your story with us!
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Kat, and I live in Colorado. On my days off, I enjoy singing, creating art, spending time with my husband and our two fur babies, catching up with friends, organic gardening, enjoying nature, and reading.
I had cancer in 2002 resulting in my thyroid being removed. I’ve had many ongoing health struggles as a result of my thyroid levels changing regularly. I am mindful about sharing diagnoses outside of my medical team as I can slip into aligning with them too much. There have been seasons where I felt my identity was enmeshed with the labels medical professionals chose. God continues to show me through many hard seasons that my identity is in Christ alone.
I am actively engaged at my church and sing as a member of the worship team whenever possible. Singing is an active testimony of the goodness of God, since each time I had thyroid surgery, my surgeons expressed the risk of losing my voice, but I trusted God to bring me through. I also volunteer with Diamonds–a non-profit ministry for people suffering from chronic illness–and was blessed to be a guest speaker at the Diamonds Conference in 2023. My calling and passion is to offer soul care to those who are struggling and yearning for more healing and freedom that only Christ can offer.
What has God taught you in your valley of chronic illness?
He is teaching me about endurance and resilience. I identify with II Corinthians 4:8 as I oftentimes feel hard-pressed, but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, and struck down but not destroyed. Therefore, I do not lose heart.
What Scriptures have spoken to you in your times of need?
Isaiah 43 has been a source of comfort for me in the deepest valleys. I can imagine walking through waters and not being overcome by them and going through the blaze of fire yet not being burned–Jesus is right there in those spaces with me.
The Lord has brought me through the most difficult of seasons, and oftentimes I find myself stronger in spirit because of those refining moments. I learn to depend on him in deeper ways when I am feeling so vulnerable and weary.
What is the best part of your chronic illness?
I am an ambassador for Christ who is a living example of II Corinthians 1:4 as the Lord continues to walk me through so many challenging circumstances. I bring my trauma, disappointments, and heartaches to Him along the way. As I turn to Him, He comforts me so I in turn can comfort others! That is the heart of the soul care that I offer others as a professional counselor.
Who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
II Corinthians 1:4
How would you encourage other women with chronic illness?
Dear sister, you are never alone! The enemy and the world will tell you so many lies and they will attempt to distort so many truths. In traumatic seasons, I have believed that no one can understand and that I will burden others with my story. I have also believed that no one could possible love me as I am and that God cannot possibly use me in my broken state. These are toxic beliefs that result in separation, division, shame, and more trauma. I encourage you to ask God what is true, write it down, and check it with Scripture, not just your feelings. Not everything we feel is true.
If you have trauma connected with your illness, and your doctors are saying it is all in your head, then please know you are not crazy. Trauma gets stored in our bodies and oftentimes can be expressed via illness and pain. What happens in our minds happens in our bodies and vice versa. There is so much hope for healing, though–ask the Lord to lead you into the resources He has for you one step at a time, and remember that God is our Great Physician.
What resources have helped you?
- The Word of God has increasingly become a part of my walk with Jesus.
- Fellowship and corporate worship time with my church family are a significant source of blessing, community, and relationship in my life.
- I also very much enjoy Lectio365 and the One-Minute Pause App by Wild at Heart.
- As I watch The Chosen, I can begin to see the character of Jesus in a new way. I am not a visual person, so I struggle deeply creating images inside my mind. But when I see and hear a biblically-anchored depiction of the life of Jesus, my heart can process things on a deeper level.
- Singing has always been my special language to the Lord, so my voice is a point of connection to deeper union with Jesus.
- As a counselor, I receive my own Christ-centered soul care to help me work through potential blind spots, wounds, and trauma.
Can you relate to Kat’s story? What part of her testimony most encouraged you? Any words you would like to leave for her in the comments?
The Valley 