A Journey - Day 5
“[make] your ear attentive to wisdom and [incline] your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;”
There are so many aspects of living with chronic illness that compel us to gain understanding. Some aspects require a certain level of knowledge. I suppose that is what this journey is - one long, wisdom-producing process. It’s been nearly 10 years since the onset of my first symptoms, and there is simply too much to say about what I have learned. I can’t possibly break down every single nugget I have collected on the journey, but I can share some general encouragement about finding understanding along the way.
There are three critical areas I believe that we must gain wisdom and understanding in on our journey: how our physical bodies are impacted by and react to our illnesses, how our emotions are affected by what we are experiencing, and what God is doing through our illnesses. And in acquiring knowledge in each of these three areas, there is one fundamental step that must be taken - we must pray.
Chronic illnesses and pain require a lot of something we all try to avoid - doctor appointments. They require blood draws, imaging, other tests, and a lot of sitting in waiting rooms. They require repetitive conversations about symptoms and medications. Many chronic illnesses require that we know more about our bodies and symptoms than our doctors. So, it is essential that, from the beginning of our journey, we gain an understanding of how our unique bodies present with illnesses, and how those illnesses are affecting us internally.
If we take the time to study our diagnoses or even our symptoms, we can make knowledgeable decisions that will allow us to bypass some challenges. If we observe and understand how our bodies react to activities, foods, medications, and so on, we can make our journey easier. IF WE PRAY that God gives us wisdom about our bodies, He will empower us to take the right steps.
We also must be diligent in recognizing how our emotional health is affected by our physical health. Mental illness and chronic illness are strongly correlated. Sometimes our medications have side effects that can alter our moods or thinking. But while these may be common among us, it doesn’t mean they should be ignored as normal.
I have shared previously how I struggled with isolation and depression on my journey. I also have experienced anxiety and medications interfering with my thinking. When I tried to ignore those things, they only got worse. It wasn’t until I was able to identify and admit what was going on that I was able to start getting better. When we understand our emotions and can put a label on them, we can begin the healing process. WHEN WE PRAY about it, God will enable us to do so and give us wisdom on how to heal.
Finally, in order for our journey to be productive and gratifying, we must gain an understanding of what God is doing in and through us. On day 2, I talked about finding the purpose that our illnesses serve. And I will emphasize that again here: God is using your journey for a reason. Sure, we may not be able to understand everything right now, but He will reveal what we need to know for the moment we are in.
If we take the time to seek Him about our lives, our bodies, our minds, or His plan, His Word says that He will show us what paths to take (Proverbs 3:6). This is how our journey goes from wandering in misery to traveling with joy. So, I challenge you to put in the effort to learn as much as you can about your illness or condition, your medications, your emotions, and yourself as a whole. As you do the work, acknowledge God and ask Him to reveal knowledge and give you the wisdom you need on your journey.
See you tomorrow for Day 6!