Keep the Faith!
8.02.18
One of the hardest things to do while going through a tough season in life is to keep the faith, not allowing the trials to defeat you. If you know me, you also know I’ve recently been in that place. The last few weeks have not been the easiest.
About two months ago, I developed a horrible pain in my right hip. As I’ve mentioned before, chronic pain is a major side effect of my disorder, so just like any other time I experience pain, I ignored it and continued going about my normal routine. Pain has been a part of my daily life for so long that I’ve learned to just push through because I desire to live my life to the fullest. The pain has not stopped me in the past, but this time I was getting a run for my money. Over several days I noticed the pain in my hip was not relenting.
In the following weeks, the pain continued to worsen, but I prayed daily and attempted to go on with my normal life. Unfortunately, the more I used prayer as my first line of defense, the greater the attack from the offense. Regardless, I continued to pray. God has always carried me through the toughest of times, and I knew His hand was still on me. Besides, my birthday was right around the corner, and NOTHING was going to stop me from enjoying my day, lol.
A week after my birthday, the pain became unbearable. I spent several nights in bed crying and praying, telling myself to keep the faith, that everything was going to be ok. Every day I hoped it would get better, but it only worsened.
When I finally went to the doctor, I was informed that my leg was broken in three places and I would need surgery the very next day. As you can imagine, the news was shocking, scary and depressing all at the same time. I felt defeated, but I continued to pray and relied even more heavily on my faith. To this day, I still cannot believe I had been walking on a broken leg for weeks! The surgery lasted about six hours, and during that time, I was administered four units of blood.
When I awoke from surgery, I felt as if I was in a nightmare. The pain was excruciating, and on top of that, I wasn’t given much medicine. I didn’t sleep at all that night. As the hours passed, I grew impatient and extremely upset. I was in so much pain and just wanted relief. The angrier I grew, though, the louder I heard the words, “keep the faith; it’s going to be ok”.
The recovery process has been far from easy, but it’s getting a little better, day by day. When I recall the events of the last couple months, I am reminded of how God has really kept me, as the outcome could have been much worse. He allowed me to enjoy the biggest birthday celebration anyone could dream of and a trip to Atlanta that I’ll never forget.
One thing I’ve learned about keeping the faith is that the journey is not always going to be desirable, comfortable, or fun. But when I look back over all I’ve been through, I’m able to recognize God’s presence and protection every step of the way.