God Is With You And Understands Your Illness Frustrations

God is with you–in waiting rooms, exam rooms–wherever you may be. How easy it is to forget God is with you when worry overcomes us!

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

I’m facing a challenge that under ordinary circumstances would rattle me. But now I am downright scared and discouraged. I have previously faced it with my sons but this time have a body that is not working properly which adds additional stress–my 14-year-old daughter will have four-hour knee surgery soon.

As a mom, all I want to do is be there to comfort. It will be an outpatient procedure and we will be at the hospital all day. I haven’t been in one place that long, except resting, since realizing sitting or standing too long produces symptoms.

It is at these moments when I get most frustrated at my illness. I just want a body that works. I don’t want to have to think about how to survive a day without passing out. I’m getting accustomed to manipulating my environment to allow myself to participate in activities, but this hospital stay will challenge me.

So what do I do? Well for about two weeks I walked around angry, but prayed. Then I opened the Bible and this is what I found:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

God is with you. God is with me. You mean God is going to be with me in the waiting room?

What a comfort to think that. It made me realize I need to get prepared for the day and then trust that things will work out. So I have a plan; I’ll do what I can to conserve my energy, stay hydrated, and pray. If I need to leave there will be someone on call to take me home.

And we will trust in the Lord that things will turn out alright for our daughter.

Prayer: Dear Lord: Thank You for enveloping me in the peace and calmness of Your Word. Please help others who are facing life’s struggles to find courage to face their challenges and experience the peace that comes with the knowledge that You are always by their side. Amen.

About the author:
Laura Seil Ruszczyk lives in New York with her husband and three kids. She recently retired from her job as an elementary school counselor. She is writing a book about her struggles with dysautonomia _ a neurological condition in which the autonomic nervous system breaks, affected such things as blood pressure, heart rate, breathing and temperature regulation.

Her daughter’s surgery was a success and Ruszczyk was able to stay at the hospital for the entire day.

You can now read this on your Kindle. Find out more at http://TodaysDevotionOnKindle.com

Do you know with your head that God is with you, but sometimes forget with your heart how God is with you? How do you find the strength to handle a challenge that seems mountainous? Does knowing God is with you make a difference in your concerns?

Wondering if God is with you? He is! Faith Evans sings in this song, “Troubled World,” that despite our troubled world, God is always with us. Can’t see the video in your email? Click the title of the devotional to go to our website to see the video.