Literally, the week after I made the decision to follow Christ into the unknown on The World Race I got pneumonia. Although this was not my first experience with pneumonia, it had been several years since I had it. A few weeks after getting over pneumonia my abdominal problems began to resurface. For those of you that know me well, stomach issues are nothing new for me. In 2007, I had my gallbladder removed and that tremendously helped. Years passed since my stomach had really given me severe problems. In April of this year, I ended up in the Emergency Department and found out that my liver enzymes were in the 800s! No wonder my abdomen was in severe pain! My doctors began the process of finding a cause for my abdomen and liver problems. As a result, for months I was eating chicken broth on the reg.
In May, four days before beginning my summer job at Camp Twin Lakes as an Outdoor Adventure (ropes) facilitator, I broke my arm playing church softball. I have played softball, primarily second base, since the ripe age of five. This is the first bone I have ever broken.
Lately, I have really been able to relate to the story of Job. “I cannot eat for sighing; my groans pour out like water.” Job 3:24. “If my sadness could be weighed and my troubles be put on the scales, they would be heavier than all the sands of the sea.” Job 6:2-3.
To provide some relief, my nutritionist suggested a diet that excludes gluten, dairy, soy, peanuts, eggs and corn. These foods are common food allergens and all are difficult to digest. This diet has helped TREMENDOUSLY… but, of course, I am hungry almost always now. After getting a food allergy test this month, I found out that I am allergic to milk (dairy), shellfish, salmon, and olives… yes, olives. This discovery was such an answer to prayer and explains my life long stomach probs. A week rarely went by that my Dad and I didn’t eat sushi and frozen yogurt together. So my allergy discovery did not come as a shock to me. I still have more tests and procedures scheduled this month to make sure that there is nothing else going on.
My health has always been a target of the enemy. Every time I really begin to get close to the heart of God, I am physically attacked. So as hard and difficult as life has been lately trying to adjust to eating different foods and having a broken arm these challenges let me know that I must be doing something right!
Many times I wonder if I should be going on The World Race when I feel like I am barely surviving even in the luxuries of the United States. How will I live in Africa and be effective at spreading the gospel when I have been to the doctor more times than I can count in the past few months alone? I have been reading a very timely book called “Finish The Mission” by John Piper and David Mathis. The book states, “There is always a cost to reaching people with the good news about Jesus. It is a cost that perhaps many who identify with Jesus may not ultimately be prepared to pay. But this is the context within which the gospel took root and spread… Our goal is not to conserve our lives at any cost but rather to live our lives in obedience to the call we have received. We are not called to ignore risk or to be reckless. Everything must be prayerfully considered. But to refuse God’s call to go because of hardship is to demand something that the apostles would struggle to recognize as part of genuine Christian obedience.” And then I have my answer.
All of life is a test. I pray that I can pass this test in this season of my life. After injuring my arm and prior to the prognosis, my mom asked a good friend of mine to pray that my arm would not be broken. Instead, he prayed that my arm, whatever the outcome, would help me bring more glory to God. I couldn’t have asked for a more genuine and perfect prayer. Through the pain and trials, I want more than anything to give God all the glory and praise that He deserves. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
