Tug of War

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:6

Demands and expectations can be a source of struggle for anyone.  However, for those of us with chronic illness and pain, there is an extra level of frustration.  The limitations that our health issues place upon us make it difficult to accomplish what we desire let alone what others would like or feel that we should do.  In this regard, we’re often our own worst enemy.  We try so hard to rise to the occasion or maintain an appearance of “normalcy” that others believe that we are capable of accomplishing much more than we are truly able to deliver.  It is the tug-of-war that that we regularly face which requires much discernment.

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God is Enough

“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.”  The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.  Lamentations 3:24-25

Like Peter walking on water in the storm, those us who trust in God may become distracted by threats to our security and begin to sink.  Chronic illness can be like that, especially when normal often keeps changing.  New symptoms, diagnoses, or infections can cause us to lose focus.

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Clay Pots

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.  Ephesians 2:10

Producing art, whether for functional use, the sheer beauty of it or some combination of the two, takes effort and skill.  In my youth I used to tool leather.  I made belts, purses, bible covers, etc.  Some projects were from kits, others were on pre-cut pieces and the remainder were those that were started with a piece of tanned hide.  Obviously the latter required the most effort in that I had to decide what I was making, its intended purpose, its shape, and its dimensions.  From there the cutting had to be precise which was not easy with a utility knife.   Once cut, the leather had to be moistened to keep it pliable to that the stamping and carving could be done properly and evenly.  After being tooled it had to be died and finished.  Each piece was unique and an investment of time, effort, and creativity.  The process was a very faint imitation of how God has created each of us.

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God is the Strength of My Heart

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26

Strength is one of those things that waxes and wanes, varies from person to person and can be considered in terms of physical, mental and spiritual attributes.  No matter what aspect is being considered, at the core of this discussion we must remember that any form or degree of strength that we have is provided and sustained by our Heavenly Father in Christ.  

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