If this is your first time with one of the Letters to Sarah: Thriving in Chronic Illness excerpts, welcome to you! and if you’re returning to these letters, thank you so much for coming and staying!
This is a real letter I wrote to a lovely young woman named Sarah for encouragement in her daily challenges to live well with chronic illness. Both Sarah and I desire that you might also find hope in this letter too!
Psalm 119:34 NIV Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart.
Psalm 119:130 NLT The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand.
Dearest Sarah,
I’ve found that many days the most frustrating part of chronic illness is the lack of understanding associated with all parts of it. Doctors, even specialists, don’t really understand all that’s going on in and with our bodies, nor how to “fix” even a symptom or three. Friends, even family, can’t really understand all that’s happening with us, nor what to say or do to help us. Teachers, even mentors, don’t really understand all that’s occurring with us, nor find ways to make everything work for us. (Don’t even get me started on insurance companies and lack of understanding! *Sigh*)
And most days, I don’t even understand what’s going on with my own body and the continual unexpectedness of chronic illness. There’s that vast unknown in every day with fluctuating energy or pain levels, medication effectiveness, others’ expectations, or new symptoms. I can’t depend on what happened yesterday or what I think could happen later today. My calendar, planner, and to-do list are (at best) suggestions for most days.
But this lack of control of my days has brought a far deeper understanding of true freedom and peace than I’ve ever known before. Because there in the chaos, I’m given opportunity to choose Christ instead of what I see or feel. Feelings will come and go, just like bodies and people. But the word of God doesn’t change, because He doesn’t change (see Hebrews 13:5).
In other words, what I learned as a child from Proverbs 3:5-6 has become a lifeline instead of just a lesson…
Proverbs 3:5-6 AMPC Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
Those are some strong words from our Strong God to strengthen my weak faith and weak body (and some could say, weak mind too, haha!). But seriously, I have these verses posted on the wall right in front of my computer so I can see them. Posting them doesn’t remind me of their words which I learned as a child. Rather, it reinforces their truth which doesn’t change or fade over time, with harder symptoms, or from an unknown future, which includes later today. Even though I may know these words by heart, my mind needs to read them over and again. This is because the stronger and louder all of this illness grows in my body, the stronger and louder I need truth to be proclaimed to my mind and heart. For truth brings real strength to my soul that will not be overcome by anything, including my own body.
His truth can make me flourish.
His truth can make me fearless (or at least fear less).
His truth can make me find hope.
His truth can make me free.
And His truth will do the same for you, even now.
Knowing this, I am praying for you to know His truth deep in the soil of your soul so that you might flourish, be fearless and free, and find hope for today. And to do the same again tomorrow. He is waiting for you to hold fast to His truth, including the truth that He is holding fast to you. His love for you is so very strong, just like Him.
With much love from your friend,
Beth
written by and copyrighted to Beth Madison, Ph.D., 2024.
Soul Scientist 
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