Voice – The Blessed Overcomer

Today’s a new day! Wakeless nights, they used to whisper low

A diagnosis that shook my world, don’t know where to go

But then I felt it, like a spark in the night

A flame that flickered, shone a light on my plight

Joy in the struggle, purpose in the fight

Finding my voice, in the dark of night

Parkinson’s crept in, tried to steal my sound

But I resist, I won’t be wearin’ chains bound

I write these words, a symphony of pain

A melody of hope, a rhythm that remains

I find my voice, it’s louder than before

Echoing with joy, and a purpose more

In the silence, I hear a gentle hum

A reminder that I’m not alone, there’s more to come

My voice is a river, flowin’ strong and free

Carrying my story, for the world to see

Joy in the journey, purpose in the strife

Finding my voice, and it’s changin’ my life. ~OC

Today’s a new day! Overcoming fears, doubts, and pain, you rise above, stronger and wiser still. With every step, with every fall, you learn to stand, to rise, to conquer all. Keep pushing forward, don’t give up the fight, you’ll shine brighter, emerging in the beautiful light. ~OC

Over the years when I have faced another medical trial, I have stated “It’s just another bump in the road.” Yesterday, God changed my mindset. He shared with me that instead of looking at my current situation as another bump in the road, I should instead look at my health challenges as another blessing in the road. Pretty mind blowing. I also believe it could be a life changing way of looking at our circumstances. With every “Bump in the Road” has come a blessing. Let me share some examples.

*A Missionary. During my crazy beautiful health journey, God has allowed me to become a missionary at doctors appointments and hospital stays. God has blessed me with the incredible opportunity to encourage others during those visits.

*My Voice. Based on my health issues, I have lost my physical voice. I speak with a whisper these days. I use a voice amplifier to help me speak. But during this time, God has blessed me with the opportunity to speak out loudly against human trafficking, racism and other important issues.

*Listen. During this crazy beautiful journey, God has helped me become a better listener. I always thought I was a good listener until I got sick. It was then that I realized, I tended to listen so I could respond. So I could fix things. During this journey, God has blessed me with the incredible opportunity to just listen. Not to be the fixer. Not to share my opinion. Just to listen.

*Extra Weight. When I got sick again in 2009, I was prescribed the highest dose of prednisone (a steroid), that you can take. I put on a ton of weight in a short period of time. I went from my running weight of 150 to over 200 pounds in less than six months. All the weight went straight to my stomach. Based on the fact I could no longer run or exercise, it was difficult to take weight off. It was very frustrating. Then in 2014, I started losing my appetite. Then from the middle of 2016 to the first of 2017, I lost 90 pounds. Yes, you read that correctly. 90 pounds! That is when I had my feeding tube inserted. That extra weight saved my life. A bump in the road turned into a life saving blessing in the road.

*A Book. In March of this year, my memoir The Blessed Overcomer was published. If not for this “bump in the road”, I would have never written a book. You can find my book on Amazon or you can contact me about getting a signed copy. A little shameless plug.

*This Blog. Once again, if not for this crazy beautiful health journey there is no blog. I do not have a huge following and probably never will, but that was never the point. I am thankful for everyone who drops by and checks out my blog. Writing my thoughts down has been very cathartic. A wonderful blessing.

As I reflect on my crazy beautiful health journey, I have so many Blessings In The Road moments. It took God changing my mindset to realize this amazing truth. ~OC

As some of you know, based on my health issues I speak with a whisper these days. The photo above is my Chatter Vox Amplifier. Without this device, you could not hear me. I always have to warn new people before they call about my device. If not the first few minutes of the conversation can be really awkward.

Some people see this device and feel sorry for me. Let me ease your mind. This device has been a beautiful blessing. It has allowed me to continue having a social life. Life was difficult when people could not hear me and I had to continually repeat myself. Talk about frustrating.

Also this device has allowed me to continue sharing my story with an audience. Not great for a speaking career, when no one can hear you. I am blessed to be able to still share about my crazy beautiful health journey.

Plus, it’s a great conversation stater. If you saw someone wearing this around their neck, wouldn’t you asked about it? Of course you would. So I never have to worry about starting a conversation.

We all deal with tough situations in life. Mine just happen to be health related. But I have not let my health journey keep me from thriving in life. I do not know what kind of storm you are facing today, but I encourage you to take what the world might perceive as a negative and turn it into a beautiful positive. ~OC

Tag: Voice

My Voice

Another Blessing In The Road

My Voice