Although it's been a rough couple of weeks there have also been some great joys and memories made over the last couple of weeks. As I've had more energy, I've been able to babysit for my friends and make precious memories with my friends and family and their precious little ones. The Bible is replete with the theme of joy in the midst of sorrow and the familiar Psalm, "weeping may last for the night but joy comes with the morning." Biblical joy does not mean you are happy sappy jumping up and down, but rather it is a settled confident hope in eternal life and better things to come because of Jesus' atoning work on the cross for your sins and mine. In other words, we have hope for a future with no more sorrow or pain. However, God still pours out many blessings here on this earth in the midst of the suffering.
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God's magnificent creation and gorgeous artistry is just one of the many blessings He pours out on us!
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Today was one of those days filled with blessings and reminders of God's great provision and orchestration of our lives for our good and His glory. It started out with receiving some results from a culture I had from my lungs several weeks ago. Although I am not really feeling sick, it showed heavy growth of the bacteria I am colonized with. This morning I could tell I was feeling a little "off" and my lungs were feeling a little more junky so I decided to go ahead and start the inhaled antibiotics that I have on hand. Heavy growth is never good and can cause lung damage so I really need the round of antibiotics, regardless of how I'm feeling. I was so thankful that God had provided a stockpile of the very expensive inhaled antibiotic for free last year that I ended up not needing every other month, but I kept getting for such a time as this. I am able to start the medication as soon as I need it without having to wait on doctor's offices or insurance companies and ending up in the hospital like last year. This is a tremendous blessing that I don't take lightly.
Jord and I spent the morning hanging out and talking and then had one of our neighbor's over to watch a couple episodes of Agents of Shield. So fun. I then went walking with my Grandma and the puppy dogs and then spent the evening coordinating travel plans for some friends. Nicole and Alyssa went to college with one of our neighbors and we met last year right before they headed out to do a road trip through all 50 states, while serving and ministering along the way. I was able to make some connections for them early in their trip and I saw a facebook post this afternoon looking for some connections in the south. Well it just so happens that a lot of my PCD friends live or have connections there. Over the next couple of hours we got a couple states covered and more are in process. It's so fun when I can help make connections and see the body of Christ at work all across the country. I'm not physically well enough to do a road trip to all 50 states, but I have been able to pray for them and help them find housing along the way.
It got me thinking about PCD and my PCD family. Although PCD is an incredibly difficult journey at times, I am thankful for it in multiple ways. First and foremost, I have gotten to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with so many people because a lot of people ask how I cope or get through a lot of the struggles and my answer is always Jesus and the hope of heaven. God has given me a broken body, but by His grace, this body has been used to tell people about the hope I have for eternity--and that I would much rather have a broken body here for a short while and have an eternal heavenly body with Jesus rather than have a healthy body here and be eternally separated from God and everyone and everything in hell. Secondly, my PCD family is awesome. Through social media we truly have built treasured friendships all over the world--that is why we so keenly feel the loss of Jorgen and are all fervently praying and rooting for Rebecca to get her new lungs. We are fighting the same battle together and all cheer each other on when others are down and celebrate victories--no matter how big or small. This community truly is amazing and beautiful--and I wouldn't want to miss out on it for anything in the world!
I was reminded of a quote by missionary William Carey: "I will go down [into the pit], but remember that you must hold the rope." I am not physically well enough to go on the mission field nor am I well enough to do a road trip to all 50 states. However, I can pray for missionaries and I have been able to pray for Nicole and Alyssa and make connections for them so that they can complete their trip. Their
blog is here: The Road Trip if you'd like to check it out in more detail. :)
It's fun to dream and plan for the future--I am super excited as well because we are going on vacation with Mom and Dad T. to Florida this year and I will get to go to the ocean and DisneyWorld which I have never been too. Although I've learned over the years to hold MY plans loosely because God can and will change them and life never quite looks like you thought it was going to, but it's what He has for you--for your good and His glory! So I continue to "pray and go" as Mom T. always says and see where God takes me on this crazy adventure called life.
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