Here’s another excerpt from the upcoming book, “Letters to Sarah: Thriving in Chronic Illness” as part of “The Nevertheless Project” to be released by Northeastern Baptist Press in 2024.
1 Peter 2:9 ERV But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the people who are God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Colossians 3:12 GNT You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Dearest Sarah,
You’ve had some rough and eye-opening days lately with your health. I’m so sorry that all of this is going on and that answers still aren’t available for a plan to move forward in this. From experience, I’ve found that days like these are especially hard in their demands on physical and spiritual strength.
Days like these can drain hope while opening cracks for despair to take over. Days like these try to stick a round faith into a square hole of giving up on today without any thought of tomorrow.
Yet days like these can be redeemed for reframing our mindset along with others’ outlooks as well. Because days like these force us to look past what we thought we knew (and had under control) into the reality that we don’t know the next moment nor are we able to control it. But therein is great news, we know our Good God is in control of the now and the not-yet.
No symptom surprises or can supplant God. No diagnosis or lack of one can diminish one drop of His dunamis power at work in and for us (see Colossians 2:12). No treatment or plan of action can add to His goodness available to and through us.
Jeremiah captured this in his words, “Ah Lord God! Truly, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm, and there is nothing too hard for You.” (Jeremiah 32:17 MEV)
I’ve said those words from Jeremiah loudly (and repeatedly) when I’ve lived days like you’ve had recently. I had to say them aloud so my mind and heart could hear them over the roar of pain and wanting to give up. They were an anchor-prayer helping me hold fast into believing them and my Good God as true. Sometimes, Ah, Lord God!, was all I could say out loud while letting the Holy Spirit breathe the rest into the soil of my soul. But that phrase was enough to shine light into that deep darkness of doubt to fight back giving up or in for this moment and the next.
Those three words were also enough to remind me of this truth – nothing or no one can come between God and me unless I choose to let them. God has chosen me for the good works He has planned for me (see Ephesians 2:10). And as I’ve said before, there’s no exceptions or exemptions in obedience for health challenges, no matter if there’s no end to their hold on our lives. There’s only more opportunities for His glory and goodness to be seen in the doing and outcome of these good works. I’m learning that many of these good works are ones I’d never have chosen or thought of before illness but are vibrant and life-giving for me and for others when done as unto our Good God.
I ache with and for you in days like these. And this ache prompts me to even more prayer for you – prayers that you will know the freedom found in actively abiding as a branch alive with love and grace from our Jesus, our Vine (see John 15:1-7). Yes, the pruning isn’t ever easy but it’s always elevating us closer into His Presence and Image. His work in our lives via illness is invigorating in His mercies made new each and every morning. For these mercies help us choose to embrace this moment and ourselves as His (see Lamentations 3:22-23). And when we embrace now and Him in it, we find joy that propels us into the glorious days of heaven and the not-yet He’s preparing for us even now (see John 14:2-3).
Praying for you with much love, dearest Sarah – you are never alone!
Your friend,
Beth
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written by and copyrighted to Beth Madison, Ph.D., 2023.
Soul Scientist 
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