Sometime around 1989 I began sensing changes in my body that I didn’t understand. My whole body began to hurt and I was becoming debilitatingly fatigued.

I was still only a baby Christian and I remember crying out, “Lord, what is happening to my body?!”

His answer surprised me: “Pay attention to everything you are going to learn. You are going to use it to help a lot of people.”

That was a life changing moment for me.

Abba Father accomplished two things in that moment.

First, He gave my life profound purpose. There was PURPOSE in my illness.

Second, He began the process of teaching me how to focus on HIM in the midst of trials and tribulations. I would rely heavily upon this skill for the days ahead.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4 NIV

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5:1-5 KJV

This will sound strange to many of you, but I am THANKFUL for my chronic illness!

No, it’s not because I WANT to be sick.

It’s because I want to be USED by my Heavenly Father to minister to His people.

Think about the people you have encountered because you were sick. The doctors, the nurses, the office staff, the EMTs, fellow patients in the waiting rooms. These are people I personally will never meet, but YOU have.

As an ambassador for Christ, it is your responsibility to represent Him in those places. With the people YOU meet. Just as I am responsible to share Christ with the people I meet.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you
1 Peter 3:15 KJV

I will leave you with a phrase that my friend Elaine and I have loved for years.

*Note: The image featured at the top of this article was taken by my daughter Becca in Delaware.