No Wonder

I have 2 autoimmune diseases.  If you have an autoimmune disease or have read about them you know that you seldom have just 1.  I have Graves’ Disease which affects my thyroid and I also have microscopic colitis, which just means it is colitis that is diagnosed by a biopsy of the large intestine.  90% of the time neither of these causes me any problems.  My thyroid is controlled by medication and I have learned that my colitis is more affected by stress than anything.  I have chosen not to take medication for colitis because of the side affects of the medications so when I do have flare-ups I try to change my diet and figure out ways to lessen my stress.

Right now I’m in the middle of a mild flare-up.  When it started I was really surprised and actually attributed it to some foods I had eaten.   My life is not in turmoil right now.  Things are really pretty normal here at the Brown’s house.  So where did my stress come from?  Well, duh!  I have turned off the news and gotten off of social media which has helped.  Even though I don’t have fears about catching or dying from CoVid 19 I am extremely sad about the direction of our world.  When this all started I hoped it would bring our country together but it has become so politicized that things are much worse now.  Satan is having a field day.  Also, for some reason, just our life, it seems like every other day for the past couple of weeks I’ve gotten bad news about friends and family; devastating news.  Deaths, Alzheimer’s diagnosis, accidents, strokes and the list goes on.  I am heart-broken for my friends and there is nothing I can do for them.  But there is something I can and am doing for each of them.  I have reached out to them, made the hard phone calls, and I am praying mightily for them.  I can’t lessen their pain but I can let them know I love them.

I have struggled and been depressed about not being able to serve in Bible study since this CoVid time began.  I am still depressed and worred about our kids that we serve every summer at Kids Klub at Ruidoso Downs and I have prayed about what it is that God wants to use me for now.  Maybe this is it, just to encourage and pray.  I will have to say that I have spent much more time in prayer with Him the last couple of months that I ever have.  That is shameful on my part.  I am learning more about praying continually.  I don’t have to be in my quiet place to pray.  When I’ve gotten those phone calls and text messages about friends and family I have prayed wherever I was.  God doesn’t need or want long, drawn out prayers.  He wants to be with us all day, every day.  No matter what we are doing.  Whether I’m in the middle of feeding the horses, walking the dog, cooking dinner, reading a book, playing golf, or at the grocery store.

Pray about everything.  You are not alone.  You don’t have to know a lot of Bible verses.  You don’t have to go to church every Sunday.  You don’t have to have ever prayed before.  Our Father wants to hear from you.  He wants to help you and He wants you to know Him. Don’t forget:. “Rejoice always”, “give thanks in all circumstances”. You don’t need to be thankful for the circumstance but there is always something to be thankful for.

 Rejoice always,  pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18