Fighting with My Body

The battle with my body never seems to end. Some days, nights, and weeks are tougher than others. Heat, ice, and Epsom salts have become a regular part of my life—probably half the time, if not more. I try to be proactive, doing what I can to stay ahead of the pain. But there are moments when all I can do is wave the white flag and let God do the fighting for me.

Because of my pain, I can relate to people of every age and stage of life. I know what it feels like to be trapped in a body you wish you could trade in. I know what it’s like to be so miserable you just want to be knocked out. I know the helplessness of being held hostage by pain you can’t control. Every morning I pray myself out of bed, and every night I pray myself back to sleep.

While I still hate the unpredictability of my pain, I’ve come to see the unexpected blessings it brings. It humbles me daily and forces me to draw closer to God. It grows my compassion and grace towards others. It pulls me away from dependence on Craig and anchors me in full dependence on Christ. Somehow, even though the pain is heavy, God’s purpose always proves to be greater. Even in my limitations, He keeps taking my faith to new heights.

My prayer is simple: Lord, use me and my broken body for Your glory. I don’t want people to see only my pain—I want them to see God’s power flowing through me. Even as I write these words, my hope is that someone reading this will find strength to keep going. Life will throw body blows your way, but every single time, God will be there to pick you up.

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” – Exodus 14:14

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13