Wednesday, November 16, 2016

As the Holidays Approach



The holidays were approaching, yet another specialty medication wasn’t panning out in the way we had hoped, and I found myself in a full-blown Rheumatoid Arthritis flare, longing for any kind of relief from the pain. I called my Rheumatologist to report on my condition and his instructions were, “Lay low and be patient. We have to wait three months before your insurance will accept another change.” Reluctantly, I agreed to restart my pain meds, even though prednisone plays havoc with my emotions, as it was the only relief available for the moment.

God, where are you? And why are none of my usual coping methods acceptable any longer?


I used to be really good at “walking it off” when my mind filled with darkness, and the satisfaction of a job well done could lift my eyes away from my problems, giving me a jolt of hope that maybe my problems weren’t so all-consuming after all.

But now? There was no walking or chore or service that my body would allow. Caring for my basic needs took every available ounce of strength.

The low point came when I looked at the calendar. Thanksgiving was only a few weeks away. We love when our adult children and their families gather at our home. We cook and eat our way through a day of feasting and fun, but this year something had to give, there was no hope I could prepare for that kind of gathering.

. . . 

I am so blessed to be part of the story-telling team over at 
Chronic-Joy Ministries today. To continue reading this post
of how God works through Chronic Illness,
please join me by clicking the link here.





I'm linking today over at
#LiveFreeThursday, Suzie Eller 

6 comments:

  1. Beautiful words, Bettie. Well done on your lovely guest post over at Cindee's site! I've left a proper comment there. Blessings to you, sweet friend. xoxo

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    1. Dear Joy, Thank you for following along to the posting! And thank you for your encouragement and help along the way. I'm so blessed by your friendship. xoxo

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  2. Thank you for you sweet comment. You are a very good writer. May the lord help and guide you on this painful journey.
    Prayers!

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    1. Hi Sharon,
      Thanks for stopping by, and thank you for your encouragement and prayers! I appreciate your heart for the Lord that shows in your words and in your beautiful journaling and artwork! --Blessings!

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  3. Oh Bettie, what a beautiful gift your loved ones are giving you. I'm so glad your friend helped you to learn to accept it at the hand of God. But I know how hard it is to accept or ask for help. To admit I can't handle it anymore. I'm not very good at that... I am so encouraged by this truth - "Even if our movements change and our tasks shift, the GIVING of our FATHER is always a constant." Thank you. Blessings and hugs!

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    1. Dear Trudy, Yes it was such a beautiful gift, and one of the best Christmas times we had last year! I am praying that those lessons God began to teach me will continue on into this year too. It's a hard one to learn isn't it? We Mammas are used to being the ones to give, but God has gifts for us to receive also. I am so grateful for friends who speak God's Truth into my life! And thank you for your sweet words too, my friend! Hugs and Blessings to you!

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