“The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:5b)
I had to set my alarm for 6 AM this morning! You might think that is a funny thing to be excited about but when you’re unemployed a purpose-filled day is a blessing.
Today I attended an orientation at our local pregnancy crises center. Listening to the nurse discuss her role, I was enthralled. Performing ultrasounds on pregnant young women in an effort to decrease the number of abortions was a worthwhile ministry.
And it would give me a chance to use my nursing license again. Forced to go on disability due to a chronic illness, I still grieved the loss of my career. Volunteering at the center seemed to be the perfect solution.
But then it happened. About one hour into the orientation symptoms of my illness began to flare up. By the end of the next hour I was miserable and knew that I was not physically able to do this job.
After the session I made a hasty exit to the safety of my car. Tears of disappointment and frustration threatened to fall. But I determinedly refused to cry. “Lord” I sighed: “I really wanted to volunteer here.”
That is when I remembered reading Philippians during my morning devotions. At the time one particular sentence seemed to leap off of the page: “The Lord is near.”
Thinking about the nearness of my Father comforted me. Slowly the hurt began to subside and peace filled my soul.
About the Author:
Ramona Bracker is a retired nurse who lives in Iowa with her husband. She has three grown sons and one lovely daughter-in-law. She has lived with a chronic illness for 25 years.
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What “little dream” have you had to give up recently? Have you been able to grieve it without obsessing over your loss?
Chronic Illness Pain Daily Devotionals 