When His Purpose for Us Hurts

Today I am sick and have been now for several days.  It’s just the flu, but I can’t help but freak out mentality when I get ill.  I start hoping, praying, and pleading that the Lord does not take me back to that place…

That place that caused me so much pain and suffering.

That place that made me feel like I had no life.

That place where I was trapped in my own body.

That place were I looked fine on the outside, but on the inside I was a wreck.

That place where I just had to push through life.

That place that forced me to abandon my dreams.

That place where I was never physically enough for my family.

That place where I felt like a failure as a wife and mother.

That place where I felt useless for His service.

That place that still brings me to tears even as I type this now.

No, I don’t want to go back to that place; that place called the land of chronic ill-health.

Since my body suffered with some many various issues over the years, I have certainly become well-rounded in the ill-health department.  And because of this, I’ve had many women ask me lots of health-related questions along with how did I live life in the process.  These are women, who are either in physical pain themselves, or it’s their husband or children, and it’s hard for them to not feel scared, frustrated, and helpless because of their situation.  My heart is always sad for them because I believe, at least for me, when one goes through the challenges of chronic ill health…..that, my friend, is a storm!  Your world is rocked.  The rug is pulled out from underneath you.  And you need to figure life out.

Some days it can seem like time is moving in slow motion and then there are other times when you feel like everyone else is living life all around you.   Although you may not look physically handicapped, you are.  Your spot in life is on the couch.

Pain.  Suffering.  Frustration.  Anger.  Apathy.  Depression.  Despair.   All of these become your new wardrobe.  You wear them daily and some days, you just can’t take them off.  That’s a wardrobe I’d like to throw out and never put back on, but we don’t have a choice in this!

Lately, God has been stirring in my heart about the subject of chronic ill-health.  Recently, He has brought people into my life that are experiencing many of these similar issues.  In fact, just the other day, one woman said I probably help so many people because of all that I have learned in the alternative world of health.  I smile and let her know that my passion is to encourage women to live for Jesus Christ; to equip them so they can grow in Him, bring Him glory, and then ultimately, live a life poured out for Him.  Of course I will give them some tips here and there, but God has not placed on my heart a strong desire to write about one living a life of chronic-ill health, instead, He has asked me to do the following:

1. Write my story.
2. Equip and encourage women in their marriages.
3. Strengthen women in their faith (trials, whatever they are, will ALWAYS be a part of the believer’s life.)  When a woman’s faith is strong, she’ll be able to weather any storm that comes her way.

Sure, there might be times when the Lord prompts me to write a post about homemaking, child rearing, living a frugal lifestyle, maybe even a post on homeschooling, but again, those topics are not the focus of The Alabaster Jar. They might show up from time to time, but they won’t be the norm.  I’ll continue to share my life because I believe that stories help people to see the bigger picture as they learn the biblical principles that I try to present, plus it shows them that I am real.

Just today I had a sweet on-line friend comment to me about her ill-health journey and our similarities, and she shared with me this verse and I thought it would minister to you as well (whatever your trials may be):

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

“but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him”……do you see that dear one?  Do you see that what you are going through is that the works of God might be displayed through you?  I do hope so!  You were put here on earth for a reason.  You are going through this trial for a purpose.  It may hurt.  But the purpose, if you shift your eyes ever so slightly, will outweigh your pain.  You, dear one, get to be used by The Almighty God because of your suffering.  All so He can be displayed……through you!  Don’t lose heart.

I wrote this post about a year ago and for those of you that are new here, that have no idea what health trial I am referring to, I thought I’d share it with you in hopes that it would encourage you in your trials.

Lord, Why on Earth Would You Allow This?  (The Refiner’s Fire, Part 2)

First, let me begin by telling you I had no intentions of writing this post anytime soon because, quite honestly, I did not want to mentally and emotionally relive the past feelings of my life where I experienced so much physical pain, long-suffering, hopelessness and times of despair as I walked with the Lord.  I knew at some point the Lord would have me share this part of my life with you, but I did not think it would be written now, in the middle of me telling you about our financial trials!

In fact, every time I’ve thought about writing on this subject matter, I would come to tears.  Just the other day as I was having a hard time coping with the reality that the Lord was going to have me face those many years of brokenness, I cried to Him and said, “Can’t you use my strengths instead of my weaknesses?   I am sure He was probably smiling down on me when I said that!

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Lord, why on earth would you allow this?

I can’t tell you how many times I have asked the Lord that question.  All I’ve wanted to do since I gave my heart to Him was serve Him.  When I married, I wanted to make sure I lived a life where I brought respect and honor to my husband and that I served him as well.  When I had my children, I desired to raise them in the Lord as I spent time homeschooling them and teaching them to build God’s kingdom.  I did not understand why the Lord would allow my body to have one disease and disorder after another and for so many years.  But God had a plan in all of my pain and there was a purpose for it!

The story below was the beginning of my refining process.  If you missed part 1 of The Refiner’s Fire you can read it here, just click on the link.

So because of God’s grace, I will briefly share my weaknesses.

The pain was unbearable.  When would it end?

It was 1998.  I had been saved for almost 2 years and married for one month.  I received a call from my doctor telling me I had pre-cancerous cells of my cervix and I needed laser surgery.  They were not sure if I would be able to have children as a result of the damage to my cervix.  I was not expecting to hear those words!  Here’s God’s hand in the midst of the heartache, fears, lost dreams and pain.  About a year later I became pregnant with my firstborn son and 1 year after he was born, I was pregnant with my second child.

However, little did I know that during my first pregnancy, a host of illnesses were brewing in my body and they were about to explode.  Over a 10 year period of time I saw one doctor after another for all of the diseases and disorders that were manifesting in my body.  There were days that my husband would send his assistant up to our house to watch my babies just so I could get some rest.  The night before I did not get any sleep due to severe joint pain, infections or vomiting which prevented me from getting any rest.  Many weeks I saw doctor after doctor for treatment after treatment.  For a two month period of time I saw 4 different doctors per week to help restore my health.  Below is a list of doctors that had treated me over the years:

• A doctor of internal medicine
• A rheumatologist
• An ophthalmologist
• Several gynecologists
• A gastroenterologist
• A clinical nutritionist
• An alternative medicine doctor
• A dentist to treat Periodontal Gum Disease
• A physical therapist
• An alternative medicine doctor for PMS and thyroid disorders
• A doctor of Chinese medicine accompanied with acupuncture

During my time with them, they diagnosed me with:

• An autoimmune disease of my glands known as Sjorgren’s syndrome.  As a result of this syndrome, I was unable to nurse my children but I did not know that at the time.  I had chronic fatigue and chronic joint pain.  I was constantly sick and I was starting to have vision problems.  The doctor told me I had abrasions on my eyes due to lack of moisture because my glands were not functioning, so he plugged my tear ducts.  I was also diagnosed as having border-line Lupus which is also an autoimmune disease, along with fibromyalgia and IBS.  Life long drugs were their answer to all my problems.  (We decided it was best for us to seek alternative treatment.)
• In the alternative world of medicine I was treated for Candida Albicans which is an overgrowth of yeast in one’s body that can destroy the immune system.  During the course of 1 ½ years, I took over 90 pills a day which were natural supplements and my diet was restricted to protein and veggies.  (It was enjoyable to say the least.) sarcasm noted
  
• Along with Candida, I was diagnosed with Leaky Gut Syndrome, because I had microscopic tears in my intestinal lining, and if that wasn’t enough, I was also Insulin Resistance which was a precursor to Diabetes.
• At one point in my life I was rushed to the ER by ambulance because I was doubled over in pain, unable to stand and I was constantly vomiting.  We thought my appendix might have burst.  After an ultrasound, a vaginal ultrasound and a CAT scan, they found that I had a ruptured ovarian cyst.  Little did I know I would experience that pain every month for the next 6 months.  I was soon diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.  My hormones were severely out of balance which caused an ongoing, monthly depression just before my menstrual cycle.  On top of all of that, my entire endocrine system was bogged down and I was functioning off of my adrenal glands which caused a lot of the chronic fatigue, the anxiousness and irritability.
• In addition to everything else that was going on in my body, for 1 ½ years I had a severe vaginal and rectal infection that greatly hindered my ability to just get through the day.  The doctors had never seen anything like it and they did not know what it was.  (That was comforting to hear.) Just 1 month after my rush to the E.R. for my ovarian cyst, I had a Colonoscopy at age 34 to find out the cause of the rectal infection, yet, they could not see everything because of a blockage in my small intestine.  (Hmmm, I guess all of the years of chronic constipation would create a blockage!)  Again, no answers and no relief.   The medication that the docs gave me for my vaginal infection caused me to break out over my entire body with hives.  It was a Mother’s Day I would never forget.  I couldn’t take any more pain.  I felt like it was killing me.  All I longed to do is go home to be with Jesus.  That Sunday morning, my husband took me to the elders of the church for prayer and oil.

“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”  James 5:14

Throughout those long and painful 10 years, I had treatments that would range from:

• 6 months of nightly enemas with probiotics in them.  (I was 33 years old at the time and I felt like I was living in a body of an 80 year old woman.)
• Taking natural progesterone that was injected into me rectally 3 times a day for at least 5 years because of my ovarian cysts.
• I gave myself weekly B-12 shots in hopes that the fatigue would go away.
• I was hooked up to an IV once a week for 8 weeks for chelation treatments hoping to rid my body of toxins.
• At one point, my blood was run routinely through an IV that was under a UV ray light in hopes that the light rays would kill off any viruses in my body.
• Not to mention all the disgusting green drinks and restrictive diets that I had to be on in order to restore my health.  (Eating soup with chicken feet in it was not enjoyable!)

Because we sought alternative medicine, the office visits, treatments and supplements were not covered by our insurance.  For 1 ½ years the cost for my health would range from $1000-$1500 per month.  Over the next 5 years, that number would decrease to $800 and then to $300 per month. There were days that I was becoming healthier.  One day in particular, I can remember the excitement I had as I shared with my husband that I was able to make my young boys lunch!

During year 5 of my health journey, I prayed for contentment.

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain.”  1 Timothy 6:6

I was tired of trying to restore my health and I no longer wanted it to be such a huge focus of my life.  I had to come to grips with the fact that I could not have the life that I longed for based on my physical limitations and I did not want my pursuit of health to become my idol.  For a few years my body was stable as long as I was still taking my supplements and limiting my diet, so I timidly stepped out to serve the Lord as we started a new ministry.

But shortly things got worse and they got worse at the wrong time!  My body started to decline once again and the supplements were no longer maintaining my health.  We were starting to have financial trials, (read The Refiner’s Fire to know more about them,) and the cost of $300 a month for supplements that were no longer working did not seem like a wise purchase.

My health trial and our financial trials collided.  I did not know what to do.  I was becoming sicker and sicker and more of my organs were starting to shut down.  We had no health insurance and we maybe had $300 to our name.  Our home was now in foreclosure and I now had more responsibilities due to the new ministry.  I felt like I was drowning trying to manage all that was needed in my home because of the additional financial hardships as well.  Lord, why on earth would you allow this?

It is funny how our journey with the Lord is called our ‘Christian walk’.  To me, it felt like a ‘crawl’.  I never felt like I was in an upright position pursuing Jesus.  I was so broken and feeble that I daily had to crawl to Him.

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.  For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer.” 2 Corinthians 1:4-6

God’s hand of faithfulness has always been upon us even when I did not understand why God was taking us through this major storm.  When the IRS audited us, they found that they owed us several thousand dollars and the lawsuit that went on for 5 years, the plaintiffs dropped the case against my husband because there was no case.   See how God works!

The Lord is always with us but sometimes through all of the pain we can’t see Him, feel Him, or hear Him.

He is with you as well.  He is refining you for a purpose that is just for Him so He can be revealed through you!  Don’t get discouraged and don’t lose hope.  He is always right there by your side when you are hurting and when you are questioning.

He was right by Job’s side when he questioned the Lord as well.  And what was the Lord’s response to Job?

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.  Job 38:4

Sometimes we are not going to understand everything that God takes us through.  We just need to be obedient and faithful to Him despite our hardships because God does not owe us anything. 

And he (Job) said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”  Job 1:21 (my emphasis)

Live a poured out life for the Master,

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