Today’s a new day! As most of you know, I am using a walker these days to assist me getting around. The last two weeks were tough, as I went through multiple test and treatments at the hospital. As I was sitting here thinking about everything that’s been going on with my health the last few weeks, I had to stop and give God praise. You see, the enemy thought he got the best of me because of my limited ability to get around and having to deal with two weeks in the hospital. But the truth is, my limited ability to be get around does not effect my ability to continue serving God. Never allow the enemy or anyone else to shackle you with their limitations. Keep your eyes focused on God and finish strong. ~OC
Waiting
Today’s a new day! As I continue this current hospital stay, there is a lot of waiting around. Waiting for the next test, bloodwork, having my vitals checked and for the doctors to come by. As I wait, I often lean into the words from Galatians 5:22-23 which tells us that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” This fruit of the Spirit comes from…the Spirit. It’s an obvious statement, but how easy is it to actually believe that joy, peace, and patience come solely from our circumstances or situations?
Throughout my times of waiting, I have learned that true peace is not just a feeling of being happy and calm. True peace does not come from the outcome of a test result, MRI scan, or new diagnosis. No, true peace comes from knowing God and knowing that nothing can separate us from Him and His love (Romans 8:35-39). True peace comes from knowing that God has known and loved me since the very beginning of time (Psalm 139). Sometimes late at night when the fear, anxiety, and what-ifs try creeping into my thoughts, I lean into the truth of God’s word and His promises. There have been times when I had to fight for peace and had to plead with God to help me trust Him. It is a peace that surpasses all understanding (Phillippians 4:6) when we take our anxieties and burdens to God and trust in Him. Oh, what sweet peace it is to live in as I continue to wait. ~OC
Lessons Along the Journey
Today’s a new day! As I spend the week in the hospital receiving treatments and recovering, I have been reflecting on my long health journey and many hospital stays. The lessons learned over the years are many. Here is one that came to my mind this week. ~OC
As I have run this crazy beautiful health journey, I have learned to set myself free from impossible expectations. To let go of my own agenda and not allow anyone to force their agenda’s on me. I have learned to let God do His thing while I learn to rest in Him. To lean into His promises and asked, “God what do you want me to learn from this health journey and how can you use me as I travel this road?”
The life lessons that God wants to teach us through the storms of life can be life-changing. Learning to release my own agenda was only the first lesson for me. I thought my plan was a good, even a God-honoring plan, but it turns out that God had a different plan. A plan that included chronic health issues. A plan for me to be a missionary at medical appointments and hospital visits. A plan that I never would have chosen for myself. But even in the pain and struggles of this health journey, I have learned a second lesson that I believe we would all be better off by learning.
The lesson is this: God is working everything out for our good in life, even when might not believe it or cannot see it.
Now, let me just say that this lesson is a hard one to believe when your life is filled with medical appointments, hospital stays and a crazy amount of pain. If you’re having a hard time believing it today as you read this, let me encourage you with the following words from God’s own heart:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” ~Romans 8:28
I confess that in some areas it has taken me years to see the good that God can bring out of a situation. Sometimes our heads must choose to trust when our hearts cannot muster up the courage to do so. And that brings me to the next lesson I have learned.
Sometimes, God allows us to experience broken bodies so that we can realize we have an even greater need—a broken heart. A broken heart that needs Him. If we will let Him, God wants to take our broken hearts, and pour His love in. That is part of the “good” that He wants to work for us in the scripture verse above. He wants to heal our brokenness, and in so doing, bring good out of it. And then, as only God can do, He wants to work through us to show a world of hurting and broken hearts that He can do the same for them. That is part of what He means when He says that we have been “called according to His purpose.”
God actually has a purpose for us. No matter how broken our lives feel, God has a purpose for each and every one of us. God can take broken people and use them for His greater purposes. All He needs from us is a willing heart.
Maybe you feel your life is too messed up for God to accept. The truth is, God desperately wants us to turn to Him in the middle of our big old mess and lift our hearts and lives to Him.
As I continue to run this health journey, I have learned that all God needs is a willing heart. Because if you are willing, even though you may feel like you are a mess, God will honor whatever faith you can muster, and take your brokenness and turn it into something truly beautiful.
So today, I pray the following for each of us:
Dear God, I pray that You will take our pain and brokenness and use it for Your good. I pray that You will use our “I can’t “ situations to show us what You can do and want to do in our lives. God, we thank you for hearing our prayers today. It’s in Your powerful and matchless name we pray. Amen.
Trust in God
Today’s a new day! Here is another writing from the vault. I pray it brings you some encouragement.
I am always amazed and saddened when I hear Christians teach the false doctrine that because we are children of the Most High, that makes us exempt from suffering. This is simply just not true.
Nowhere in scripture do we read where God promised any of us that this life would be easy. But God does make this promise: That He is bigger than any storm we will ever face in life. God does promise He is always working for our good, even during the raging storms when it can be hard to see Him. God does promise to never leave or forsake us, even during the biggest storms of our lives.
Each of our storms may look different, but they each have the opportunity to change us. To make us stronger. To help bring us closer to God. He is the only one that has the power to take the toughest moments of our lives and turn them around for the good. It usually never happens as quickly as we would like, but life lessons and blessing will come from it. The good will eventually shine through the darkest moments of our lives.
As I have walked through this crazy beautiful health journey, I have learned the power of praying God’s words back to Him. The words of God have the ability to soothe our souls and help us rise above the pain and challenges we might be facing.
And even if our circumstances are not immediately changed, God’s word reminds us to set our eyes on Him. To lay our burdens at the foot of the Cross. And believe me when I tell you, that’s the best place for them to be.
So as we walk through whatever storm we’re facing, we can be confident that God sees our pain. He has not forgotten us. God is still at work, through the most difficult moments of our lives. Today, lean into God and place your storms in His hands. Trust in Him. ~OC
Hope and Joy
Today’s a new day! The following post is one that I have been writing and rewriting for months. I am not sure it’s exactly everything I want to say, but sometimes you just have to put it out there and not worry about the response.
What if I shared with you that when I look at this crazy beautiful health journey I am on, I do so with hope and joy in my heart?
In the midst of countless hospital visits, treatments, pain and surgeries there has been indescribable hope and joy that has surrounded my every step.
Let me share some truth with you. It has not been my health journey that has that brought me this hope and joy. Far from it. The hope and joy that I live with comes from someone else. You see, as I have experienced my health declining over the years, I have become intimately aware of how fragile life really is. I have become more aware of how short, and how painful our time can be on this journey called life. This has led me to crave for a life that God promised to those who would follow Him. A life where there is no more pain, no more suffering, and no more death.
As I have run this grueling health journey, I found myself more desperate for God’s word and the peace of heaven. There were days I fixed my eyes on heaven just to get through the day. But then something amazing began to happen. The more I focused on God’s promises and heaven, the more I felt alive and renewed. Even though my body continues to decline, I have experienced more hope in the promises found in the Bible than ever before. I started leaning more into those promises because that’s where I find my hope, peace and strength. I have to make a daily choice to totally embrace God’s promises or allow this health journey to consume me. To become my identity.
I began to see the scriptures in a whole new way. Verses like the following:
“My brothers and sisters, you will face all kinds of trouble. When you do, think of it as pure joy. Your faith will be tested. You know that when this happens it will produce in you the strength to continue. And you must allow this strength to finish its work. Then you will be all you should be. You will have everything you need.”~James 1:2-4
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” ~Romans 8:18
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” ~2 Corinthians 4:16-18
I know as some of you read this post, you’re facing major storms in your life. Life seems overwhelming at times. So, when some guy is telling you to “think of it as pure joy”, it might bring out feelings of anger rather than joy. I get it. But just for a second asked yourself, “What if these verses are true?” What if even during the toughest moments of your journey, the cancer diagnosis, the Parkinson’s diagnosis or some other challenge is actually being used to make you perfect and complete, lacking in nothing? And that even the deepest hurt will someday be replaced with insurmountable love, peace, and joy.
The hope and joy I am writing about may not always look like happiness the way we understand it. The hope and joy that comes from following God and focusing on heaven is not the same as what the world defines as joy. I believe it’s far more rewarding.
The world connects joy to a moment, experience or circumstance. So, if life is currently full of sunshine, we have plenty of reasons to celebrate. But the amazing thing about God’s joy is that nothing in our life could be going right, but with God’s help, we can still find the strength within our soul to praise, to help others, and ultimately, still have hope and joy.
The darkest moments of my health journey are filled with hope and joy because I continue to cling to the beautiful promises of God. They are my lifeline. And as I continue to hold onto that hope, my head miraculously stays above the raging seas. The storms that surround me haven’t changed, but I know even the biggest battles in my life cannot take away my most precious gift in life, my relationship with God. And for that, I am forever grateful.
As I close out this post, I want you to hold onto the following truth: The hope and joy that comes from Heaven, far outweighs the trials we will face here on earth. ~OC
Truly Living
Today’s a new day! Are you just merely existing in this journey called life?
As I look around me, I see so many people who are just walking through the motions of everyday life, but they are not truly living life. They are not embracing it. For whatever ever reason they have stopped living before their hearts stopped beating.
As I have walked this crazy beautiful health journey for the past twenty-three years, I have learned that living a meaningful life has nothing to do with how much money you have in the bank or the materialistic things that you may possess. To truly live has nothing to do with your status in life.
To truly live life is to appreciate everything that you are. To live your life being aware of all your shortcomings but still loving yourself. To understand that those imperfections are part of who you are. To realize that you do not need to change anything about yourself to just impress others. Make changes because they make you a better person. To understand that you are far from perfect but you are unique. There is only one of you walking on this earth. To truly live is to be happy with the person that God uniquely created…You.
To truly live life means to take that trip now, instead of waiting for the right time. The right time is now. A lot can happen in life between now and the right time. Choose to embrace adventure now.
To truly live life means to be in the present, to live in the moment and not waste your time dwelling on the past, or what could have been. To let go of what has happened and focus on what you can do right now to live a better life. To be a better person.
To truly live means to appreciate everything around you. To take time to watch the sunrise or sunset, listen to the birds singing, sit by the ocean or call up some friends to get together to just celebrate living.
To truly live life is to be okay expressing your feelings. To accept that sometimes we need to laugh, cry or scream. To allow yourself to grieve and heal.
To truly live life is to appreciate each moment. To find awesomeness and wander in every day life. To make the choice to get up every day and try to make the best of every day because you don’t know if you’ll be here tomorrow. To try and learn something from each of your life experiences.
To truly live life is to spend time with friends and loved ones. To surround yourself with those that encourage, challenge and inspire you to live your best life.
To truly live life is to find your purpose and live it out. To chase after your hopes and dreams and then go out and accomplish them. To never give up!
To truly live life is to be kind and respectful to others. To buy breakfast for the person in line behind you. To reach out to family and friends to let them know how much they mean to you. To smile at a stranger. To take time to do one selfless act, big or small, on a regular basis. To truly live is to try to make a difference in your part of the world.
To truly live life is to make the world a better place for the next generation. This one life is a beautiful gift. Embrace it! ~OC
God Knows Our Future
Today’s a new day! We don’t know our future, but God does. He not only knows it, but God has carefully planned and designed it and has full control over it. From this point of view, our future, although different from what we may have imagined, it is in the most secure place: in God’s hands.
Whenever we feel scared and confused, we must remember that we know the One who knows our future and everything about us. God is the One who knows us on the most intimate level and knows our earthly life from our first breath to our very last one. ~OC
Upcoming Interview
Here is some information about an upcoming interview. I pray you have a wonderful day.
What’s even better than a TED Talk? A Todd Talk!!* 🎉
Join authors—and long-term chronic illness warriors— Andrea Herzer (https://www.andreaherzer.com/) and Todd Shoemaker (https://www.theblessedovercomer.org/)for honest, hope-filled conversations about living with difficult diagnoses, discovering purpose in pain, and finding ministry amid your medical challenges. You’ll even receive tried-and-true tips for both caregivers and care-receivers.
In our three part series, you’ll find encouragement, companionship, and likely a few “Me too!” moments. As C.S. Lewis once said, “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.’”
✨ Our three-part series kicks off June 26 in Andrea’s private Facebook group, Embracing Abundant Life Together. (https://www.facebook.com/groups/lifeforillness)Join now so you don’t miss out on the fun and fellowship!
*Not affiliated with TED, but definitely Todd-approved.
Juneteenth
Today’s a new day! Today is also Juneteenth. I want to share a few thoughts about this day and its significance in American history.
My journey to remembering and celebrating Juneteenth occurred later in life due to a lack of knowledge, as I was educated at a time where most school systems did not adequately teach on African American history and culture. (That’s why we can never return to those days). I believe the history of African Americans and their contributions to American society have often been overlooked or marginalized in traditional education systems. Learning about Juneteenth and understanding its significance can be a powerful awakening to the complexities of American history and the ongoing struggle for racial equality.
As I have learned more about Juneteenth, it serves as a reminder of both the injustices of the past and the resilience and perseverance of African Americans in the face of adversity. Juneteenth is not just a celebration of freedom from slavery but also a call to action for social justice and equality for all people. By remembering and celebrating Juneteenth, people of all races can honor the struggles and achievements of African Americans and work together towards a more just society. The journey of learning and growth is valuable not only for personal understanding but also for fostering greater empathy and solidarity across all communities.
It is never too late to learn and embrace aspects of history that may have been previously overlooked or omitted. Today, my call to action for you, for me, for communities across America is to be open to truly learning our history. All of our history. This will hopefully allow us to contribute to the broader effort of recognizing and honoring the diverse experiences and contributions of all individuals and communities.
Happy Juneteenth! ~OC
The Blessed Overcomer 