God is in Control

God is in Control...It's a simple phrase isn't it? Yet it is often a hard concept to grasp. As a Christian it was drilled into my head that God is in control, and we should accept it and not question His ways. Unless you're living in la la land and have had no struggles or trials, you're going to wonder what God is up to. As a human I believe it is perfectly natural to question what God is doing.

Living with a chronic illness will make anyone want to know how the rest of their life is going to play out. I know that I often seek God out and try to understand why I was handed this challenge. As I am wondering though, there is also a certain....peace that I get. God is in control, again simple phrase right? Yes...and no. Knowing that God is in control gives me peace because He is my Heavenly Father and has my best interests in mind, even if I don't think so. Humans have a tendency to want to be in control though, and I am no exception. I want to take charge, know what my future holds, and make my own way. When it comes to my fibromyalgia, I know there are certain things I shouldn't do, and things I can do to minimize the symptoms. Those things don't always work though, FM is a tricky illness and often unpredictable. Just like life...

As I think back over the last week I can pick out where I obeyed God and followed His ways, and there are times I did my own thing...thinking I knew better than Him. You know what I found out? God really does know better. Even when my FM is concerned. I tried to handle a stressful situation without bringing my problems to Jesus, and my pain shot up to an 8. The next day I started my day out by seeking wisdom in God's word....and the pain went down to a 3. Incredible! Amazing! Wonderful! That is what God is, and He wants to take our cares, guide us through our challenges, and love us through our pain.

This coming Sunday is Easter. I am reminded of the pain and suffering Jesus went through because of His love for us. He endured false accusations, persecution, crucifixion, and death, separation from God for all of us. That is true love. Because He loves me so much and endured all of that, I know that He cares about my day to day life. He knows the pain, tiredness, and confusion that FM sufferers deal with. He understands....

With FM comes a daily battle, I call it an invisible battle, but thanks to our Creator, it is a battle we do not have to fight alone. We have a Defender who wants nothing more than for us to turn to Him and ask for His help.

God is in Control...

Why is Faith so important?

Since this is my first blog entry, I thought it appropriate to start out with why faith is such an important element to dealing with fibromyalgia on a daily basis.

To me, faith and fibromyalgia go hand in hand...without knowing that there is an eternal life waiting for me and relief from the constant pain and struggle of this illness, there are days that I would not even want to get out of bed. But because I know that I have Christ on my side and that there is a purpose behind my daily battles, it is easier to deal with fibromyalgia day to day.

Some people may not agree that faith makes any difference, but I truly have found that when I bring my burdens to Jesus my stress from daily life is far less, in turn allowing me relief from fibromyalgia symptoms that would be aggravated by stress.

We were not promised an easy life, instead we are given the chance to live in eternity with Christ. While on this earth everyone is faced with trials and challenges that are meant to help us learn lessons, grow, and make changes that we need to make. If having a life long illness is what is required for me to grow closer to my Heavenly Father, then I will endure my day to day life with my eyes and heart focused on eternity and the promise of seeing my Savior face to face.

Since this is my first blog entry, please be kind in any feedback that is left....thank you.