Skip to main content

Rejoice?

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances"--Thessalonians 5:16-17. 

Today is one of those days I do not feel like rejoicing at all. To begin with, this week has been absolutely jam packed with assignments and activities. All of those things are good things, but my busy schedule has led me to feeling exhausted. Add on top of the exhaustion the freezing cold weather, which has felt pretty miserable while trekking across campus. And finally, I am struggling to breathe. My lungs started hurting yesterday, and all day today I've been gasping for air and attempting to force myself to take deep breaths. If you saw me today, you would know it has not been one of my better days--I'm a mess! How in the world am I supposed to rejoice when I feel like my physical body is falling apart? How am I to be joyful when the only thing I can concentrate on is my next breath? These are the questions I ponder now as I'm writing this blog post. Rejoicing ALWAYS is hard stuff. No one said the Bible commands an easy lifestyle. We have to work at rejoicing. Yes, my day has been pretty low. And yes, I intensely feel the pain of living with CF today. But I can rejoice in knowing that the God of all creation loves me and cares for me. I can rejoice that this earth is not my home. I can rejoice in knowing that one day, there will be no more disease, no more pain, no more crying. 

In the same way, I can give thanks in all circumstances only when I realize that my God will never forsake me. I'm in a huge waiting point in my life right now. Being the impatient person I am, how am I supposed to give thanks in the waiting? How am I supposed to be grateful for my current situation, even when I have no clue what is going on in my life? Even with all the uncertainty and confusion in my life, I am content. Praise God that I am alive and breathing (even if the breathing is a struggle). Praise God for all He's blessed me with. Praise God that He knows all things and is completely sovereign. If I take my eyes away from the small and insignificant problems in my life, I will see how to give thanks in all circumstances.

God, teach me how to always be joyful. Remind me to pray continually. Show me how to be thankful, no matter what is going on in my life. May my life be a reflection of Your goodness and glory.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

CF Letter 2020

Dear friends and family, It's May 2020, which means it is another CF Awareness month and another time to talk about all the amazing things happening in the CF world! This has been a very good year in the CF community. In October of 2019, Trikafta was approved by the FDA for all people with CF with at least one copy of the dF508 mutation. 90% of people with CF have at least one copy of this specific mutation. This is a HUGE deal in the CF community because it is one of a handful of drugs that addresses the underlying cause of CF and the only drug that such a huge percentage of people with CF can take. Trikafta is a total game-changer for so many, including me. I have gained stability, I require fewer IV antibiotics, I gained lung function I thought was long gone, and I feel like I can plan things in my life again. The hard work of the CF Foundation, willing researchers who continue to search for a cure and medicines that will increase quality of life, and the generous donations fr

CF Letter 2019

Dear friends and family, I hope you all are having a happy and healthy 2019! The Great Strides CF Walk is just around the corner, and we are gearing up for a great walk day! Since my last CF Walk letter, my health has had its ups and downs. Just before the CF walk last year, I got the sickest I have been in awhile and had to fight off pneumonia with the help of 4 weeks of IVs. I also had to do IV antibiotics in August and November. However, I have stayed relatively healthy in 2019, and for that, I am extremely grateful! Although I’ve had to fight off 2 colds, my body has been able to get through it without needing IV antibiotics. While I know I will need another round of IVs eventually, I am thoroughly enjoying being IV free. I credit this to the amazing CF therapies available to me, my compliance to my treatments, and all of your prayers for my health. I continue to take 30+ pills a day including enzymes to digest my food, vitamins and supplements that my body cannot absorb

The spirit of giving

It’s the end of 2017. That means it’s time to send in those end of year donations. Want to give to some amazing charities actually doing good in the world? I’ve compiled a list for you!  The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation- Obviously, I’m biased toward CFF. They fund amazing research that is saving people’s lives! Don’t you want to be part of that? Not only that, but 90 cents of every dollar goes directly to advocacy and CF research. If you donate to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, you know your money is going to be spent wisely and is going to make a difference. Since cystic fibrosis is an orphan disease (that means it’s really, really rare), people with CF rely on your donations to fund research. As well, Congress just cut the orphan drug tax credit, meaning companies are not going to get as much incentive for studying orphan diseases and creating drugs to treat them. The CF Foundation needs people like you to donate to CF research so we can find a cure for CF SOON. —www.cff.org