Joy in the Lord

Each season of life I seem to find myself faced with a new challenge. Some are of course more difficult than others, but regardless of what it is I'm faced with, I can rest assured its all according to God's plan. About a year ago, I entered a new and challenging season in my life. As most of you may know, I was diagnosed with an Autoimmune Disease called Interstitial Cystitis. To simplify it, my body mistakenly attacks the lining of my bladder as if it were a foreign body. This causes my bladder to become severely inflamed and irritated for no apparent reason. The pain is chronic and feels as if my bladder is filled to its absolute capacity, ready to explode, when in reality there is not a drop of urine to be found. The pain is beyond irritating. Some days are worse than others, but regardless of how "good" of a day I'm having, I always have and always will feel pain in my bladder. I've recently realized that despite the pain, life must go on. I cant whine and complain about how uncomfortable I am everyday. As my mom once told me, "you can visit pity city, but you cant live there".... and as annoying as this saying may be sometimes, its also very true. One thing is for sure, I refuse to let this disease steal my joy! If we all waited until we felt perfectly healthy from the inside out to experience joy in our lives, we'd always be miserable. Our bodies were not designed to be flawless. I've had to learn find joy outside my pain, for true joy doesnt come from our circumstances, but rather from the Lord. We all have our burdens to bear... interstitial cystitis is mine. Sucky? YES. End of the world? Certainly not! If anything its been a blessing. Isnt it true that when we're in pain or agony we turn to the Lord more? Well I know it true for me, and being in pain almost everyday has caused me to turn to the Lord time and time again. He reminds me daily that He is in control. My disease is out of my hands. Not because I dont care, but because the Lord can handle it far better than I ever could.

Psalm 55:22

"Cast your burdens on the Lord, and He will sustain you."