«For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness, ‘ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ» (2 Corinthians 4:6, NLT).
A few months ago, I had the privilege of interviewing Kristen Wetherell for Adventist Radio London. Kristen is a writer who lives with her husband, Brad in the suburbs of Chicago, in the United States. When Kristen was a college junior, her life changed. She went from being full of energy to always feeling exhausted. Over a six-year period, her body became weaker and weaker. She went from running races, doing theater and leading an active life to being exhausted at 8:30 PM, feeling chronic weakness and fatigue.
Kristen had moved to New York to try to achieve her dream of becoming a professional actress. However, months later she had to go back home because she was always in pain and exhausted. As the years went by, things only got worse. Simple tasks such as holding a pencil or typing on her computer made her hands become paralyzed with pain. Pain began to extend to her knees and feet until Kristen could no longer take short walks. After six long years, Kristen and Brad found a doctor who specialized in Lyme disease who was finally able to give them the right diagnosis. After years of treatment, Kristen’s health improved a lot and her Lyme disease is under control. Although she is still in rehabilitation, she believes she has learned a very important lesson: how to suffer with hope.
In her book Hope When It Hurts, Kristen writes, «Physical or emotional pain, especially when it is chronic, has the ability to take away the masks we usually wear, exposing our hearts and threatening our self-sufficient tendencies.» It is in our weakness, when the tide goes down, that we can truly see what lies in the riverbed. It is precisely when we are exposed and vulnerable that God can redeem our pain if we allow Him. He can turn what the enemy wants to use to hurt us into an opportunity to bless us.
Lord, both physical and emotional pain, especially when chronic, affect all my points of view, including what I think of You. When the enemy wants to get rid of my faith by using pain as a weapon, help me to run to You. Give me the strength to go on believing that You will redeem all my anguish. You can use every one of my tears to water my soul and make my faith grow.
#WomensDevotional
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Take From: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2022
«NO FEARS»
BY: VANEZA PISSUTO
Collaborators: Alexandra Pérez & Angelica Cuate.
