Suffering with hope

If Jesus Purchased My Healing, Why Hasn’t It Come?

Illnessโ€”both chronic and acuteโ€”have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Itโ€™s impacted the choices Iโ€™ve made and paths Iโ€™ve taken (or been forced not to take). It has robbed me of countless things I enjoy in life, such as activities, time with others, being the mom, wife, and… Continue reading If Jesus Purchased My Healing, Why Hasn’t It Come?

Suffering with hope

A Powerful Interview With Joni Eareckson Tada – Trusting God In Suffering

If there's one person I could meet in this life, and if thereโ€™s one person I could be like in this world, it would be Joni Eareckson Tada. Her endurance and faith in such unimaginable suffering has not only profoundly shaped me, it has encouraged me to press on through decades of my own pain… Continue reading A Powerful Interview With Joni Eareckson Tada – Trusting God In Suffering

Suffering with hope

Grief is Not a Sign of Unbelief

โ€œThen Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, โ€˜Naked I came from my motherโ€™s womb, and naked shall I return.โ€™ The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.โ€™โ€ Job 1:20-22 When loss comes, grief… Continue reading Grief is Not a Sign of Unbelief

Suffering with hope

There Is Purpose in This Place

I admit, I often battle discouragement in my pursuit of health. I am beyond grateful for the extensive treatment protocol that Iโ€™ve been allowed the opportunity to pursue this past year. And yet, while it gives me great hope, the process is still brutal--with no guaranteed outcome. Iโ€™m confident that this journey wonโ€™t be wasted,… Continue reading There Is Purpose in This Place

Suffering with hope

When Hard Places Become Holy Places

Suffering. How can one small word hold so much complexity? Even beyond the complexity of what the circumstances entail, whether or not you believe thereโ€™s a God, and whether you believe heโ€™s good and sovereign, will completely change the way you interpret the word. Even in the Christian community, the way each interprets the pain,… Continue reading When Hard Places Become Holy Places

Suffering with hope

When Faith Isn’t a Formula

We, Christians, love a good miracle. Weโ€™re moved by the bold prayers of a sick brother or sister whoโ€™s powerfully touched by the healing hand of God. Weโ€™re inspired by the drug addict who met Jesus at rock bottom, and whose testimony has grown into a powerful ministry founded on the redemptive hope of Christ.… Continue reading When Faith Isn’t a Formula

Suffering with hope

Frozen in Grief: The Hidden Pain of Ambiguous Loss

As we drove away from what felt like the millionth doctorโ€™s appointment for our son, the new prescriptions and prospective treatments felt more like a set up for disappointment than a prospect of future hope. We had lived in this space for a decade and a half, ever since the realization that our sonโ€™s challenges… Continue reading Frozen in Grief: The Hidden Pain of Ambiguous Loss

Suffering with hope

The Great Exchange: When a Million Little Deaths Lead to the Secret of True Life

As I recently shared, this past month was one of extreme physical circumstances that left me out of commission, out of family life, desperate for relief, and weary of the battle. There were moments when I was in such discomfort, I could barely think, let alone read my Bible or pray beyond begging God for… Continue reading The Great Exchange: When a Million Little Deaths Lead to the Secret of True Life

Suffering with hope

The Rush to Redeem Suffering: Acknowledging Pain for What It Is

Suffering. How can one small word hold so much complexity? It can elicit fear, dread, anxiety, bitterness, anger, and panic. It can also stir up courage, strength, growth, humility, and faith. Suffering is so painfully complex that we struggle to find answers to it, yet it demands answers nonetheless. Which is why, I believe, we… Continue reading The Rush to Redeem Suffering: Acknowledging Pain for What It Is

Suffering with hope

A Cry of Desperation

The Beauty of a Child-Like Faith The world around me was dream-like, but the pain radiating from my body was what nightmares are made of. It was strange, really. As I was wheeled out of surgery a few weeks ago, I was barely conscious of reality, yet fully conscious of the agony within. Iโ€™ve endured… Continue reading A Cry of Desperation