Tag: Kindness

Not A Performance

“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” — Psalm 145:18 

Today’s a new day! Prayer isn’t a performance. It’s not a speech, a sermon, or a spiritual audition. It’s a conversation — raw, real, and sometimes downright messy. You don’t need a robe, a pulpit, or the perfect words. You just need a moment and faith like a mustard seed. 

God doesn’t wait for you to sound holy. He waits for you to be honest. Whether you’re whispering in a hospital room, shouting in frustration, or mumbling through a mouthful of emotions, He hears you. He’s not grading your grammar — He’s listening to your heart. 

Daniel prayed in danger. Jonah prayed in darkness. Peter prayed while sinking. And you? You can pray in your car, your kitchen, your wheelchair, your recliner or your weakest moment. You can pray with a full plate or an empty stomach. You can pray with tears, laughter, or silence. 

There’s no wrong time to pray. No wrong place. No wrong posture. You can pray standing, sitting, lying down, or leaning on the edge of hope. You can pray in church, at the breakfast table, or as you’re being wheeled into the operating room. 

So stop worrying about sounding like Shakespeare or James Earl Jones. Stop waiting for the perfect moment to pray. Just talk to God. Tell Him about your hopes, frustrations, dreams and hurts. Tell Him what’s funny. Tell Him what you need. And if all you’ve got is “Thank You, Lord,” that’s more than enough. 

Because the power of prayer isn’t in how you say it — it’s in Who you’re saying it to. Can I get an amen? ~OC

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Lessons Being Learned

Today’s a new day! Here are four things that God has been showing me over the past few months. I guess God wanted to remind me of His love, care and purpose for me, even in the midst of this health journey. I pray they encourage you. 

I Am Precious In God’s Eyes:

Isaiah 43: 4 says, ‘You are precious and honoured in my sight, and … I love you.’

As my body and mind continues to be an issue, I need to remind myself continually that God loves me for who I am not what I can do. The Lord has chosen me to be his treasured possession (Deuteronomy 14:2) and I am still precious to him despite my illness. He knows what he is doing and he is good.

If you are feeling that you have no purpose, the Lord wants to tell you differently. He wants you to know that your purpose is being his child, not what you are able to do.

I Am Blessed:

As I continue to walk through this crazy beautiful health journey, I have periods of sadness,  as I mourn the things I am no longer capable of doing. Some days are harder than others and I feel helpless and upset that I am a burden on Laura and others. Yet, God promises that if I lean on him and trust him, he will give me the strength that I need.

I need to ask God daily to help me remember my blessings. I have so much to be thankful for. Each day is a gift to enjoy being with Laura and friends making memories. I cannot allow myself to constantly be distracted by those friends who have decided to walk away, for whatever reason. 

I am reminded that God’s word says that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17) and I have been able to find much pleasure in the everyday things around me that I had not noticed before.

When you have a serious illness your world becomes much smaller, but in God’s grace even that can be a blessing. God has opened my eyes to see the little things in life and I can pray about them. I have time to see God answering those prayers and to see how he is interested in the tiny little details of our lives. Sometimes, living in the moment is a real privilege. I don’t need to worry about earning money or running a house because I have to trust that God will give others the strength and wisdom to do that. I know I can trust God in the big things because I can see him working in the little things.

I Am Useful:

It has been very hard not being able to get to church services and have fellowship with people. Zoom, text and phone calls are great but they aren’t the real thing. Often, although I know people pray for me and love me from afar, it can feel very lonely away from the church and everyday life. Yet, wherever I am,  I am still part of God’s family. I am still part of life. I really value people visiting and telling me what God is doing in their lives. It is good to be able to serve the Lord by praying for them and with them.

I can encourage others just by continuing to walk out this health journey, and let people see how He continues to move in the midst of the storm. I continue to learn that you don’t always need to be cheerful and smiling to be an encourager. Just sharing your life and your struggles and letting others see how God sustains you even in the midst of pain and darkness can be an encouragement. God continues to show me that Christian fellowship is about sharing your life with others, the ups, the downs, the differences and the bits in between. True fellowship is precious and points us  to Heaven.

Each day I ask God to help me to be content and to make life as easy as possible for those around me. There are times when I struggle with not being fully involved in daily life, but I know life needs to go on around me. I am still a husband, son, friend and I pray that God will make me the best one I can be.

I Am Being Made New:

I continue to learn that God is bigger than all of my health issues. He is good and his ways are perfect. I sometimes wonder why I am here after all these years, but while He allows me to continue living, I know that he will give me the strength to shine for him. I am reminded almost daily, even a weak and tiny flame can bring much light to a darkened room.

Guess what? God doesn’t see my body as decaying. No, my body is being changed for good and when God sees me as ready, he will take me to be with him, forever. I know that I am more than my illness, I am a child of God and I am loved.

Some days, the enemy tries to put fear in my heart. But on those days, I lean on the words of Psalm 23, which states, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me.” I know that God will give me the strength to keep going until he calls me home. I continue to learn not to worry about tomorrow, but to be thankful and trust him for today. God knows what is coming and he will be with me when it comes.

I want to encourage you, in whatever storm you might find yourself walking through, that you are precious to the Lord and he will never leave you nor forsake you. ~OC

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UnitedHealthcare

Today’s a new day! Like many, I was saddened and appalled by the senseless killing of the CEO of UnitedHealthCare. His family, friends and coworkers continue to be in my prayers.

As most of you know, I have been on a crazy beautiful health journey for the past twenty-two years and counting. For most of that time, UnitedHealthCare has been my insurance company. If you know my story, you know I have spent a lot of time at doctor’s appointments, receiving treatments and countless hospital visits. As I write this post, I am recovering at home from an outpatient surgery this morning.

For the most part, my enter actions with UnitedHealthCare have been a positive experience. They have covered most, if not all of my medical expenses over the years. The nurses at UnitedHealthCare have been wonderful to call and check up on me over the years. If there has been any dispute over a bill, the staff at UnitedHealthCare have been professional and very caring. Most have went the extra mile to help Laura and I over the years. Is UnitedHealthCare perfect? No. But is any insurance company or other business perfect all the time? Once again, no. But from someone who has dealt with multiple insurance companies over the years, UnitedHealthCare has been a blessing to Laura and I.

We all know healthcare issues and dealing with insurance companies can be overwhelming at times, but remember those who work in the healthcare industry are human beings. They have good days and bad days just like the rest of us. Most are doing their best to provide great customer service. So please, do not make the insurance industry the enemy because they are not. They’re good people trying to make a living like the rest of us. So be kind and respectful.

If you have had a poor or negative experience with any insurance company I am sorry. I would encourage you to speak with a supervisor or manager and voice your complaint. But please, do not make threats on social media or anywhere else. Violence is never the answer. Never! Like I shared earlier, be kind, respectful and please show some patience when dealing with any business. Thanks for reading. ~OC

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Be Kind

Today’s a new day! BE KIND, OR BE QUIET.

This is a Kindergarten rule, you guys. It’s the most basic of the basics. Either choose your words with kindness, or keep your mouth shut and just listen.
Fear and anger and hate are already running high, friends. There is no room for more.

And honestly, there should be no room for any of it. Not within the body of Christ. As Christians, our hope does not lie in the law of the land. Our hope lies in Jesus, his crucifixion and his resurrection. This is a hope that is firm and secure, an anchor for our souls. Is not this the hope that we should be sharing with everyone we come in contact with? Regardless of religious, social, economic or political differences.

Instead of arguing with one another, I suggest we focus our efforts on something that actually furthers the Gospel of Christ.

*We love our neighbor by baking cookies, inviting them over for a meal, or stopping to talk with them in the yard, and get to know them better.

*We serve our communities by offering our time and our gifts.

*We listen, we watch, we pray, and then we reach out in kindness and love.

*We immerse ourselves in the Word of God so that we can grow in knowledge and discernment.

*We treat all people with love and respect.

*We remember that life is not all about us.

*And for goodness sakes be kind. Or just keep our sweet mouths shut.

And all God’s people said…Amen. ~OC

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Lessons Learned

Today’s a new day! I have learned a few lessons as I have run this crazy beautiful health journey. I thought I would share a few with you. This journey called life is not easy. It never has been. Embrace the challenges of life and learn from them. Never stop learning. I do not care if you have multiple doctorate degrees, there is always more to learn. Never stop dreaming. I do not care how young or old you are. Keep dreaming! Find your purpose in life. I have learned when you find your purpose you find your peace. And never let anyone or anything steal your peace. Finally, be kind. This is one of the most important lessons we can learn in life. Just being kind can totally change your life and the lives around you. ~OC

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Walking Through Chronic Illness

Today’s a new day! Walking through this crazy beautiful health journey can be a daunting task. Anybody dealing with chronic illness can relate. At times it can feel we are not truly living. On days we are barely surviving how can we possibly live for God? When simple daily tasks overwhelm us, how can we even think of living for and serving God? We know He calls us to live for Him, but what does that look like when you’re walking through a season of suffering?

Before I attempt to answer those questions, let us discuss how to go about living for God. When we think of truly living for God our imagination can lead us to mission work in a third world country or preaching in front of a large crowd. But there are many different ways to walk out our faith. Living for God is simply walking out the words and teachings of God. Striving to live a life that points people to God and brings Him glory. A person dealing with chronic health issues can still live for and make a difference for God. It may just look differently than a healthy person. So, no matter your current condition there are always ways that you can glorify God through them. Here are some lessons I have learned during this crazy beautiful health journey.

  1. It’s okay that the way we live for God looks different than the way that healthy people do. In Romans 12:4-5 we read the following words, “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” In his amazing wisdom, God did not create us all with the same gifts or the same circumstances. He doesn’t expect us to serve Him in the exact same way that anybody else does. This is one of the beautiful things about the church. We see how God uses many people in different ways to accomplish things for His Kingdom.

Trying to live for God in a way that is identical to someone else would be so boring. When we attempt to live out someone else’s race, we can become consumed with trying to measure up  to other people that it ends up paralyzing us. Any time our focus shifts from seeking to glorify God, to comparing ourselves with others, it leads to discouragement. The truth is, we can never do as much as healthy people because of our physical limitations, and that’s okay. Serving God isn’t about how much we can do for Him, but using whatever ability we do have for His glory. Focusing on what we are unable to do causes us to stop doing the “small” things that we can do. If we choose to focus on the abilities and opportunities we still have, we are able to live out the gifts God has given us.

Life is not a competition. We miss out on so many opportunities when we try and make life a competition. Serving God in different ways doesn’t make it a lesser way. Even healthy people serve in different capacities. The truth is that nobody, regardless of physical  ability can live for God and serve Him as much as He deserves. He is infinitely worthy, and even if we poured out our entire lives for Him without fail, it would still not be enough. So let’s stop comparing ourselves to others and instead boldly live out the plan God has for your life.

  1. God has a purpose for each of our lives and will give us the tools to accomplish that purpose. From the beginning of time, God has been faithful to provide our needs. Any ability anyone has to live for God is a gift from Him. If God is the one giving us the strength to live for Him then we don’t need to rely on our own. We, the chronically ill, are reminded daily of the harsh reality of our weakness. Our weakness is not a hindrance to God. It’s just a different channel for Him to work through. In 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 we read these powerful words, “And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” As this verse highlights, a biblical view of our insufficiency leads to increased trust in God. Because we know there isn’t anything in and of ourselves that makes us able to serve Him, we can trust that His love will remain constant. His love remains constant even in the seasons when we feel like we are not able to serve Him the way we desire to. We have to remember, God always provides us with His strength to get through the difficult days. God always provides a way.
  2. God knows our limitations and has prepared things that you can do for Him with your current physical state. Our current health situation is not a surprise to God. He didn’t create a plan for our lives only to find out that we cannot do them in our current physical or mental state. Remember, God is sovereign and all-knowing. Before we were born, God knew the seasons of life we would walk through. God knew the challenges we would face. And He designed things for you to do to His glory as you live life with chronic illness. Ephesians 2:10 tells us this; “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Our limitations are real and valid. We should never be ashamed of our limitations. But through God’s power we can overcome all the limitations and storms life throws at us. God can miraculously work through our struggles in ways that are impossible for anyone but Him.

  1. Finally, living life, trusting God, and praising Him in the midst of the storms we face sometimes doesn’t seem very flashy or important. So many times Christians strive to look like super heroes to the world during their season of challenges. But God isn’t concerned  with how we look to other people. Simply being faithful to God in the midst of suffering doesn’t seem like a very big way to serve Him, but honestly it can be harder to persevere in the day to day struggles of life than to do one Huge thing for God. Simply living for God and thriving through our weaknesses can bring Him glory.

As we walk through our season of chronic illness, we will need to be vulnerable and let some people know what we’re going through. That circle of people can be as big or small as you want it to be. But if we do not let people know the struggles we are facing, how will they be able to walk with us during this difficult season? How will they experience the amazing power of God as He works in our lives? We do not have to share every little detail of our daily struggles, but share enough so people can pray for you. If we intentionally hide all our struggles from others, we are potentially robbing them of a blessing and the opportunity to see God at work.

We also have to constantly be in prayer. Our prayers are how we ask God for the strength to live for Him and thrive during this season of discomfort. Prayer is a lifestyle and a huge aspect of living our lives for God.

Joyfulness is one of the beautiful gifts in our walk with God. Our circumstances may be difficult, but when people see that we still have joy even though we are suffering, it points them to God. It is only through Him that we can have true joy, which is not shaped or determined by any circumstance. Where do we get this type of joy? This joy is a result of regularly saturating ourselves with God’s Word. By constantly keeping our eyes fixed on the promises of God. We can live in peace and joy, knowing God has our current situation under control and is working it out for our good.

So, let people see that you are suffering, but also let them see how God is allowing you to thrive and walk in joy during the suffering.

Walking through chronic illness is not easy. Never let anyone tell you how to live out your story. Each day is a struggle, but praise God that He is the one who guides us through those tough days. So, even if the way you serve God looks different than your healthy neighbor it is not lesser. I encourage you to keep leaning into the promises of God, the Author and Finisher of our faith, and keep on living for Him out of gratitude for the blessings in your life. ~OC

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Flaws and All

Today’s a new day! As we start this new day, remember people are not perfect. We all have flaws and shortcomings. Do not allow those things to keep us from being loving, kind and forgiving. Let’s spend time cultivating our relationships. Flaws and all. ~OC

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