Of Lyme Disease and 20 years...

Nearly Twenty years ago, 

this young lady joined our home 

and made me a mother. For twenty years, 

God has faithfully kept me desperate for Him as I 

navigated the trail of bringing my children up

 in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

In a few weeks, this lady will turn 20,

 and we will have our first child

leave the teen years behind.

It is pure joy to me to watch my daughter choosing

the way of Life, and ask the hard things

so that she can find the answers to the important things.

As I have watched Angela walk thru the hardship of a chronic disease

the past 4 years, admiration grows in my heart daily

 for how she has gracefully

found a way to deal with the disappointment of giving the last half

of her teen years to Lyme Disease and co-infections.

She has had to face the huge hurdle of neurological issues

(outlandish fears, depression, worry and anxiety, and

foggy brain, 

buzzing brain that gets overstimulated in

 bright light or at social functions) 

off and on for 4 years, and has learned

how to keep going in spite of it, in the capacity 

in which she is able to do it.

She doesn't get as much done in 'activity' as 

many young people do, but it blesses me to

watch her determinedly tackle at least basic

homemaking on most any day, and on the days she

feels well, we see glimpses of who she used to be

as she digs into cleaning projects and other things

around the home, her voice like a songbird

singing beautiful hymns to our Maker.

When if feels like she has yet 'another down day',

we have to pause and remember that 

this woman has been able to do two consecutive years

of chorus with a local youth group including tours,

besides the daily round of duties she actually

does including tending parts of our vegetable garden,

the chickens, sometimes doing chores for her dad, etc.

And even if she would not 'get anything done', we would still love her.

I just share that because satan wants to steal our gratitude,

so I fight back by 'remembering'.

I am delighted to walk past the living room door

many afternoons where she busily fills capsules

with the herbs our family uses on a regular basis,

sometimes also I hear a sermon playing while she works.

It has been a deeply painful journey to watch

our daughter walk thru this disease,

and there have been moments when I have hidden in my room

sobbing into my bedspread or pillow because

it was just too painful to experience,

lifting my daughter up to the One who

never leaves us or forsakes us.

But one thing we have learned to know...

God never makes mistakes.

He tailor makes our circumstances for us,

and we  have learned amazing things

thru this one!

It is sometimes a lonely journey, too,

because Lyme disease is an 'unseen'

struggle, for the most part.

We still are learning how to share with 

friends and relatives honestly without

causing them to feel awkward or unsure

how to relate to it all.

Happy birthday, dear Angela.

We love you and look forward

to seeing what God has in store

for you in the days He gives you.

This oldest daughter of mine is blessed beyond measure

with a sister who spent all of her teen years learning

how to sometimes be 'oldest sister' instead of middle child...

who has stepped up and filled in countless times when her

sister was unable to meet the need of the hour.

Her sister has become her best friend, and it is a delight to my heart

to hear them holding 'adult' conversations, having found a way

to celebrate their differences and blend their 'night and day' differences

to make a beautiful friendship that comforts our hearts.

PS

I am grateful to look back thru the past 4 years

and see the healing she has already experienced.

I believe that one day she will be completely healed,

if not in this life, then in eternity.

We are grateful for God's amazing grace

all photo credits go to the talented and lovely

Janelle Eby at Joy Focused Photography