Category: Perseverance

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Power: Son > Sun

The Power of the Sun

The life lessons continue here on the Gulf Coast of Florida. They will persist as long as I live no matter where I am. I’m just choosing to share a fresh one with you today.

If you have followed my health journey, you may recall that last April I was diagnosed with a MRSA infection that reached the bone and hardware in my neck. This was an unwelcome and unexpected outcome of cervical spine surgery I had 4 months earlier. The treatment for this infection called for six weeks of IV antibiotics followed by oral antibiotics for one year following the diagnosis.

The Power of the Sun

The Infectious Disease doctors determined that doxycycline was the antibiotic for me! At the time of transition from IV to oral antibiotics, I was warned to be very careful in the sun while on doxycycline. Within a week or two, I learned why. Having 2nd degree burns on my hands and feet proved to be an eye-opening lesson regarding the power of the sun.

After that lesson, my doctor really hated sending me to Florida for the winter while on doxycycline yet thought it important to see the treatment through. She didn’t get any arguments from me.

The Sunshine(less) State?

We arrived in Florida the first week in January and the weather was very unFlorida-like for most of the month. It was cold and dreary, not what we’ve come to expect in the Sunshine State, not even in January. I hated to complain as I knew my family and friends back home were suffering through bitter cold temperatures and snow. (It’s amazing how quickly 60 degrees seems cold)

It’s Ba-ack!

The sun has made its presence known pretty much ever since. Oh, has it ever. I didn’t realize how thankful I should have been for that lousy January weather. The photosensitivity side effect of doxycycline reared its ugly head the first part of February and hasn’t let up since.

I’m running out of places to break out in a rash and turn red. After I found out firsthand that you can get a sunburn under your fingernails, a friend told me that I need a space suit with AC. That seems pretty accurate! The latest “hot spots” are my nose and lips. At this point, my face is literally the only part of my body left uncovered when I am exposed to the sun. I’m counting on my peeling lips being the grand finale. It’s not easy hiding from the sun in the Sunshine State. It’s downright hard while volunteering for the Pirates at Spring Training.

The Finish Line in Sight

I am very grateful to be on the homestretch of my antibiotic treatment. The power of the sun has made QUITE an impression on me throughout. However, it is no match for the power of the Son, its homophone. On the fourth day, God, through His Word, created the sun!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” 

John 1:1-3

The Word = Jesus

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

You see, we wouldn’t even have the sun if not for the Son.

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'” 

Matthew 28:18

There’s that three-letter word again—ALL! Jesus is sovereign; He is over all and above all.

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 

Philippians 2:9-11

The Power of the Son

What challenge is currently flexing its muscle in your life? I have good news–Jesus is greater. His plan and His purpose will not be thwarted. Will you trust Him as your Lord and Savior?

 

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A Patient Patient

 

Words to Live By

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Romans 12:12 NIV

I usually write a post sharing my verse and word of the year in January. Well, that artificial deadline came and went, didn’t it? I’ve been a bit distracted these last few months. In the midst of it, the verse above picked me!

Be Patient in Times of Trouble

If you’re anything like me, you could use an extra helping of patience. That has never been truer for me than over these past few months when the road to recovery from cervical spine surgery took me on quite a detour.

My word for 2024, patience, is included in the Fruit of the Spirit. That is a biblical term that sums up nine attributes of a person or community living in accord with the Holy Spirit.

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

Practice Required

I want to bear that kind of fruit. How about you? By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can! As one of my pastors once said, we won’t become patient without being given the opportunity to practice it. Practice makes perfect, right? I’ve gotten plenty of chances to be a patient patient over these last several months. I would like to say that I’ve aced the test, but, since sitting still is not one of my strengths, I imagine a solid ‘C’ is a more accurate reflection of my current level of patience. No, He’s not done with me yet!

An Unplanned Detour

The recovery from my initial surgery called for me to be a patient patient. Not knowing what to expect, I just felt like it was going painfully slow, pun intended. I was a good patient, and, as is often the case, followed all the rules. It wasn’t until the lower part of my incision split open that I realized I had taken a detour. That detour included two additional hospitalizations and a second surgery 1000 miles away from home. The prize from Round 2 was 31 staples in my neck, easily surpassing the total from Round 1. The bonus prize was yet another surgeon’s haircut! I have had no shortage of opportunities to practice patience!

Be Joyful in Hope

To this point, I have focused on the middle segment of Romans 12:12–be patient in affliction, but the bookends deserve mention as well. The beginning of the verse tells us to be joyful in hope. What does that look like in the midst of life’s difficulties? We must remember that Jesus is our Hope. Our joy is found in Him, not our circumstances. Knowing that He is with us and working on our behalf in the middle of a trial is reason to be joyful. To keep from drowning in our circumstances, it is important to keep our eyes focused on Him. That’s not always easy. If it were, I would have written this post a month or two ago rather than waiting until I saw light at the end of the tunnel!

Be Faithful in Prayer

Finally, Romans 12:12 calls us to be faithful in prayer. Seek, ask, knock—keep at it and don’t give up. While it’s true that God already knows what we need, He still wants us to come to Him with our concerns. It’s all about the relationship and that requires participation from both parties.

Pastor Chris often reminds us that everyone is dealing with something. Isn’t that the truth?! Whatever that something is for you right now, try living out Romans 12:12 and see how God responds.

    • Be joyful in hope
    • Be patient in times of trouble
    • Pray, pray and pray some more

In my case, I have found myself back on the road to recovery. After being sidelined for 3 months, I have had a taste of normalcy in my life recently. It has been oh so sweet to be able to do some things that simply haven’t been possible since the first surgery! If you know me very well, you know that I like my sweets! Strawberry shortcake anyone?

Strawberry Shortcake
It’s strawberry season in Florida!

 

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Over, Not Over…Times TWO

Did you happen to catch the Pirates’ game on June 23rd against the Padres? If not, you missed quite a game! If you know me, you would know that I am a faithful follower of the Pirates, probably to a fault. The Bucs were down by 3 heading into the bottom of the ninth and were facing the Padres closer who had previously converted 100% of his save opportunities this season. I thought it was as good as over, but since the “fat lady” hadn’t sung yet, I kept watching. Lo and behold, they tied it up and sent the game to extra innings.

Then, the Pirates faced an eerily similar situation in the 11th inning after the Padres put up a three spot in the top of the inning. At this point, I’m guessing most everyone who kept the game on after the first comeback had now given up. There’s no way they could do it again, right? Once again, though I was pretty certain the outcome was a foregone conclusion, my loyalty wouldn’t allow me to shut off the TV. Much to my delight, my faithfulness was rewarded with a 4-run rally and a walkoff victory via a bases loaded walk. I was so thrilled that I hung in there and actually got to see it live. I imagine there was a whole host of fans who only read about it and/or saw the highlights after the fact.

Though I thought the game was over…twice, I stopped short of walking away before the score was final. That brings to mind a passage in the Bible to which I can easily identify. A man brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus and asked if He could do anything to help his boy. The response is found in Mark 9:23-24:

“If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Jesus went on to cast out the spirit and heal the boy. Though I very much doubted (twice) that the Bucs could come back and win that game, I was shown, just like the boy’s father, that even mustard seed-sized faith, can be rewarded.

What are you struggling to believe at the moment? As Pastor Chris often says, “Everybody is dealing with something.” Does your “something” stem from financial, health, or relational issues? Or is it something else? In the midst of your doubt and uncertainty, cling to these words Jesus spoke to the boy’s father—

“Everything is possible for one who believes.”

When circumstances appear hopeless, it is tempting to give up on God and walk away. Instead, let’s draw closer and offer up this prayer:

“God, create a pure heart in me. Give me a new spirit that is faithful to you.”

Psalm 51:10 NIRV

Then, stay tuned for the results!

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The Journey

On Sunday we will celebrate another big milestone in our daughter’s journey through life. These occasions always cause me to be reflective and highly emotional. As part of my therapy, I had determined to share part of that journey with you through my writing. I found that was easier said than done yesterday. I didn’t know where to start and where to stop. After many hours and countless words, I scrapped the whole thing and went to bed late last night. The truth is, I cannot condense what we’ve been through with Hillary in her 21+ years to a blog post. It deserves a book! Maybe someday….

For those unfamiliar with her story, Hillary Jayne is our miracle baby. You’ll have to wait for the book to fill in the gaps, but I’ll paint the big picture now. She was diagnosed with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) in the womb. The hole in the left side of her diaphragm allowed her abdominal organs to come up into her chest cavity and take up the space where her left lung was to be developing. She was given a 50% chance of surviving IF she was born in the right place at the right time. By the grace of God, she was. She came out fighting and has been fighting ever since! Hillary had her hernia repair surgery when she was 6 days old and spent the first 88 days of her life in intensive care at Allegheny General Hospital. I remember the neonatologist describing Hillary’s hospital stay as a series of three steps forward and two steps backwards. That’s a net gain of one, right? We’ll take it! Even with the medical advances today, 50% of babies born with CDH do not survive.

CDH isn’t just a hernia. The 50% that do survive live with the threat of complications of it for the rest of their lives, including the very real possibility of reherniation. So, as they say at CHERUBS, the CDH Support Group, “Just because the hole is fixed, doesn’t mean the battle is over.” For instance, Hillary recently spent a whole year on three high-powered antibiotics to rid her good lung of a serious mycobacterial infection that was indirectly related to her CDH. It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Hillary. Far from it! I guess that’s what makes each milestone that much sweeter!

I believe God has lessons for us in each of our life experiences. Nothing comes to us without a purpose. Without question, Hillary’s story is the experience that has had the greatest impact on my life. I look at life differently now because I realize just how precious it is. Each day is a gift from God, not to be taken for granted. In the words of Jesus:

I have come so they can have life. I want them to have it in the fullest possible way.”  

John 10:10b NIRV

Jesus went to the greatest of lengths to give us life. It would behoove us to make the most of it. Let’s not squander today, for tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Live life….enjoy it…celebrate it…and give God thanks for it!

On Sunday we will celebrate the college graduation of our precious daughter. This milestone, like every other one before it, will be magnified times one hundred because of the journey that brought her here. I couldn’t be more proud. She has overcome so much adversity in her 21+ years and has excelled in spite of it all. Or perhaps BECAUSE of it all. When they call Hillary Jayne Leipold on Sunday and she crosses the stage with numerous cords and medallions draped around her neck to collect her diploma, her devoted fan base will be there leading the cheering. That is, all except her mother who will be too choked up to muster a WooHoo!