Remember Paul? His thorn in his side?
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
He pleaded with God 3 times to remove. God knows I’ve prayed a lot more times than that. Maybe I am just more stubborn than Paul. Or more persistent? :)
The Lord shows himself to others through our weakness. I hate admitting I can’t do something or that I am weak, but for God to show His power and grace through me is such an amazing honor!
Its the idea of the cracked pot with holes in it. You put a light in it, and suddenly its beautiful. I am just a broken pot without Christ, there’s nothing truly beautiful about me. But when the Lord shines through those weakness, my purpose, my being is made complete.
“Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it
together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s
true strength” -Unknown
I love this quote because in many ways its true. We deal with Vulvodynia on a daily bases, whether its physically or emotionally. I believe if more people knew about what we deal with everyday, the pain, the ups and downs, they would understand if we fell apart. We would fall apart if we were on our own.
Philippians 4:13
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
The truth is we are never alone. We have true strength not because of who we are, but because of Who we have. May the Lord be with us and shine through our weakness.
On a separate note I think I am going to try posting once a week on Mondays.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Depression
Last night I lost it. I've have a flare-up that's been going on for a week and a day now. Last night, I began to cry and I was inconsolable that is till the Lord comforted me.
I feel depressed a good deal of the time, and I feel like some Christians think its a sin. I don't believe that! I think that how we handle it can be, but not always a sin. I think about Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:2. Remember the wife who couldn't have children? (I am thankful I don't have to deal with a second wife who could).
1 Samuel 1:6-8
"And because the Lord had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. Elkanah her husband would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you then ten sons?"
1 Samuel 1:10
"In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord"
Hannah was depressed! She'd weep and not eat. I feel like her husband tried to comfort her much like my husband tries to comfort me "Why are you depressed? I love you!" The key is how she handled it, she prayed to the Lord. The scriptures talk about how she poured out her soul to God. It shows later that He heard her and granted her son, whom she dedicated to the Lord. He became one of the more famous prophets in the scriptures.
I'm not saying if we pray that the Lord will heal us that He will. But God encourages us to talk to Him. He gave us emotions and He wants us to share that with Him. Remember Job? He lost his family, friends, property and his wife even turned on him. He went to the Lord in questioning and sadness and the Lord blessed him twice over.
I feel like I have this tendency that when I feel down I want to pull away from God because I feel like that I shouldn't be depressed as a Christian. I've been told that means I am not trusting God to handle it. The truth is God wants us to bring it to Him, He wants us to walk it with Him.
James 1:2-5
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
The Lord said to count it as joy, not to feel happiness. I am thankful that God cares about me enough to work on perfecting me, that He wants me to come to Him in my time of need. I don't feel happiness as I am sitting on an ice pack while I am posting, but I count it as joy!
I feel depressed a good deal of the time, and I feel like some Christians think its a sin. I don't believe that! I think that how we handle it can be, but not always a sin. I think about Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:2. Remember the wife who couldn't have children? (I am thankful I don't have to deal with a second wife who could).
1 Samuel 1:6-8
"And because the Lord had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. Elkanah her husband would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you then ten sons?"
1 Samuel 1:10
"In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord"
Hannah was depressed! She'd weep and not eat. I feel like her husband tried to comfort her much like my husband tries to comfort me "Why are you depressed? I love you!" The key is how she handled it, she prayed to the Lord. The scriptures talk about how she poured out her soul to God. It shows later that He heard her and granted her son, whom she dedicated to the Lord. He became one of the more famous prophets in the scriptures.
I'm not saying if we pray that the Lord will heal us that He will. But God encourages us to talk to Him. He gave us emotions and He wants us to share that with Him. Remember Job? He lost his family, friends, property and his wife even turned on him. He went to the Lord in questioning and sadness and the Lord blessed him twice over.
I feel like I have this tendency that when I feel down I want to pull away from God because I feel like that I shouldn't be depressed as a Christian. I've been told that means I am not trusting God to handle it. The truth is God wants us to bring it to Him, He wants us to walk it with Him.
James 1:2-5
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
The Lord said to count it as joy, not to feel happiness. I am thankful that God cares about me enough to work on perfecting me, that He wants me to come to Him in my time of need. I don't feel happiness as I am sitting on an ice pack while I am posting, but I count it as joy!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Introduction
My name is Raquel and I have been suffering from Vulvodynia for a little over a year. Thankfully the Lord has blessed me with a very understanding husband. Intercourse has been impossible for us and yet the Lord is faithful. The reason I decided to write a blog was after a year of researching the condition I realized that there are very few support groups, most of which are discussion groups looking for a treatment (all very helpful), but not encouraging. No one likes hearing how something didn't work. My plan is to be open about what God is teaching me through this and to encourage. As those of you who suffer from the condition know, we have up and down days and I apologize ahead of time if that comes out in my writing.
I've been discovering that there seems to be very little hope out there. However, our hope is in the Lord. Sometimes I have one of those bad weeks where I feel like somehow He's forgotten me. He is gracious because He allows His word to speak to me, to us. I hope this blog where everyone who reads it can be reminded about God's goodness and encouraged.
Romans 8:28
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
If the only good that comes out of my condition is that I encouraged one person, I will be blessed.
Psalm 31:24
"Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD."
I've been discovering that there seems to be very little hope out there. However, our hope is in the Lord. Sometimes I have one of those bad weeks where I feel like somehow He's forgotten me. He is gracious because He allows His word to speak to me, to us. I hope this blog where everyone who reads it can be reminded about God's goodness and encouraged.
Romans 8:28
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
If the only good that comes out of my condition is that I encouraged one person, I will be blessed.
Psalm 31:24
"Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD."
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