Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8
I once heard a song, title long forgotten that contained the words, “Just when you think that you know what you’ve got – that’s when everything changes.” How well that describe chronic illness. I’ve heard chronic illness described as the “etc” condition. Everything chronic. So many of us have a myriad of challenges we deal with.
Now, I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s hard for me to keep my thinking flexible. On a good day, I like to think, “Oh, I’m all better now!” On the bad days, I wonder if I’ll ever feel good again.
Changes. Life is all about changes. We can run the gamut from feeling well, to feeling the worst we’ve felt. Sometimes the changes are slow. Sometimes they happen quickly.
There are times I feel lost in the world of the medical field: This doctor, that doctor, try this treatment, here’s a new med that might help, let’s try physical therapy. My world seems to revolve around my health.
Every once in a while I get what seems to be a breath of fresh air. It might be something simple like appreciating the blue of the summer sky, the smile of a stranger. Sometimes the gift is a bit bigger … we make a new friend, we have a good day, God gives us an unexpected blessing.
For some of us, complete healing occurs. For others, life deteriorates. We truly never know what is around the next corner.
I remember hearing the saying, “The only thing that is constant in our lives is change.”
What a blessing to realize that God is the true constant. He promises to be the same in every situation. He’s there for us to reach out for. He surrounds us no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. And no matter what the circumstance, we can bask in the knowledge that we are loved more than we can know in this lifetime.
So, how do we cope?
Day-by-day, step by step, sometimes, moment by moment, we hold on to Him. And that’s when everything changes.