As I went to the first of what would be many interviews, I couldn't help but hope my dream of becoming a published writer would begin with this meeting. Maybe it sounds silly, but I hoped and prayed others would catch the vision of what I felt God calling me to write. So I waited with bated breath as the interview began, and what I heard broke my heart. Not only did the person interviewing me not catch my vision, but he thought I was wasting my time. I was told I was a good writer, but I was a nobody and who would care to read anything I've written?
I sat down for my interview, nervous but excited. God had provided the money to attend this writers' conference, and I knew in my heart God was going to do something amazing. Why else would He go to so much trouble to get me here?
As I went to the first of what would be many interviews, I couldn't help but hope my dream of becoming a published writer would begin with this meeting. Maybe it sounds silly, but I hoped and prayed others would catch the vision of what I felt God calling me to write. So I waited with bated breath as the interview began, and what I heard broke my heart. Not only did the person interviewing me not catch my vision, but he thought I was wasting my time. I was told I was a good writer, but I was a nobody and who would care to read anything I've written? Thus far, the year 2012 has been the year of infections and antibiotics. In February, I was unknowingly exposed to a virus which attacks the lungs. Within three days, I had pneumonia. Even though my doctors immediately began treating the pneumonia, my body couldn't fight the infection. What should have been a week of being sick turned into six. When I finally managed to heal from the pneumonia, I was able to go a whole month without being sick. Unfortunately, my newfound health didn't last long. In April, I became sick with strep throat. This infection then rolled into a sinus infection and upper respiratory infection. Suffice it to say I have been on antibiotics more weeks in 2012 then I have been off of them.
It would be extremely easy at this point to be frustrated and negative about the circumstances of my life. In some ways, my body has been fighting battle after battle just trying to survive. As if that's not hard enough, people have been asking me why I'm constantly sick. I've even had someone ask me if God was possibly trying to let me know that I've done something wrong. Several years ago, I would have been inclined to agree, but thankfully, I'm a little older now and a little wiser. God has taught me an important lesson through the course of this disease. God is always at work in His children's lives, even when it seems like He's abandoned us. He has a plan to use the bad and turn it into good, but we have to trust Him no matter what. Since starting Broken but Priceless Ministries, I have had the privilege of meeting many wonderful people who are also fighting a chronic illness. The diseases are different, but what we all go through is the same. Anyone living with a chronic illness knows the negative impact it can have on his or her relationship with God.
Being Christians, we all immediately begin praying for healing as soon as we are diagnosed with a chronic illness. We pray, fast, and are anointed with oil. We do whatever we think we are supposed to do in order for God to heal us. Yet the majority of us are still waiting to be healed. So what happens in our hearts if God chooses not to heal us this side of Heaven? By Erin Elizabeth Austin
For over a year, I have had the privilege of studying the fruits of the Spirit. I admit that when I first began, I didn't think there was too much to learn. In my mind, I knew what love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control were and how they relate to God. How complicated could it possibly be to write a book about these things? Yet the more I have studied these character traits of God, the more I have realized just how naive I have been when it comes to the things of God. I began studying the fruits of the Spirit in conjunction with a book I am currently writing. The idea is that for those living with a chronic illness, it's much harder to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit because often, we don't feel like God loves us. We don't feel like He's been faithful or good to us, so why should we be faithful and loving to Him? These are questions often asked by believers who are suffering. They are questions which need to be answered because if we don't believe God cares about us, then it's incredibly difficult to have a good relationship with Him. |
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Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. AuthorErin Elizabeth Austin is a writer and speaker with a passion to help people find healing in the midst of their brokenness. ContributorJosie Siler, like millions of others, is living with chronic illness. She is eager to share the hope and joy that she has found in Christ, whether that is in a church, at a women’s retreat, over a cup of hot cocoa, or through a blog post. Archives
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