Have you ever struggled with your sense of value? Do you feel like you’re worth less (or perhaps completely worthless) because of your chronic illness? Do you question what you can offer to the world, to a special someone, or to God Himself with your limited capacities? I know I have. Lots of times. It’s […]
Originally published on CranberryTeatime.com in January 2023. Shared with permission. Five years ago I was talking with Will about how painful it is when people say they are praying for my healing. It’s something that isn’t often spoken of by those with chronic illnesses, but when people pray for our healing, sometimes it just hurts. […]
Last week we looked at the first three of seven characteristics of God He’s been showing me in fresh ways through the fires of chronic illness and other trials. This week we’ll look at the next four of these characteristics. 4. God is My Stability Stability: the quality, state, or degree of being stableStable: firmly […]
There’s been a lot going on in my life the past few months, both with my health and with other things. (You may or may not have noticed that we’ve missed a few posts–sorry about that.) I’ve experienced some very real pain and some very special blessings in what is still a time of growth, […]
Where does your satisfaction lie? My husband reminded me lately that my satisfaction needs to come solely from God. Both of us come from a broken world with broken people who hurt each other and can’t love each other perfectly. We try the best we can in our humanness, but only God can give me […]
Last week we looked at five more reasons for our falls as believers (and humans) and how God can use our moments of discouragement for our good, others’ good, and ultimately His glory. Today we finish that list with one more purpose to our falls, then we’ll look at some practical tips for getting back […]
Last week I shared the story of a fall I’d recently taken–a fall into discouragement–and the way God’s Word in II Corinthians helped me back onto my feet, parallel to the iconic “Why do we fall?” moment from the movie Batman Begins. We also saw two reasons behind why we as believers (and humans) fall […]
The Day I Fell I took a fall the other day. Not the kind of fall that sends you down with a stubbed toe or a stinging knee, but the fall that sends you down with a bruised heart and a throbbing spirit. After a few weeks of mild improvement with my health, my hopes […]
Last week we looked at how to find grace, joy, and peace in chronic illness based on Elisabeth Elliot’s short devotional about the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” by Horatio G. Spafford: by receiving what God has given us and by relinquishing what He takes from us. As I meditated on Elisabeth Elliot’s […]
I recently started reading Elisabeth Elliot’s book Secure in the Everlasting Arms, a collection of short devotional thoughts from the newsletter she wrote for almost twenty years. The very first entry hit me square between the eyes. The Lot We’re Dealt The entry is titled “Whatever My Lot” and, after giving a brief, personal backstory […]
The Valley