Blessed is the man...

James 1:11-13

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹¹ For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

 ¹² Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life whichthe Lord has promised to those who love Him. ¹³ Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

As I was working today I realized again that I should be continually thanking the Lord. Yes, it was while I was working hard that I realized this because I COULD work hard. In 2010 I had suffered some sudden symptoms suggesting I might have suffered a heart attack. After MANY MANY doctor visits, blood tests, scans and the like it was determined that was not the case. For those who have been reading this blog for a while you might remember this post. It took several months and then my original doctor had mentioned the words "gluten intolerant." Without going into details he also described the testing methods and at that time I was just not interested. But, he told me I could also try eating gluten free. After four months of battling the idea of changing life so drastically I embarked on this new diet, with my husband's blessings. 

It's now been a year or more, and Senior Son has had to walk the same path I have. But, we're making progress. Tonight I'm cooking two dinners... one for the gluten eaters and one for Josh and I. Yes, it's a bit more work, but in the end we are healthier, happier and able to be more awake, more active, less depressed. I've continued to study about gluten intolerance and learned that there are many diseases associated with this... chronic fatigue, depression, and fibromyalgia, to name a few. But, with God's great mercies Josh and I are moving beyond these side effects and learning a new way to live. And, on top of that, we are learning to be thankful for each bite we can eat safely and happily. 

So, while to some this may seem a trial, and in the beginning it was quite difficult to balance the gluten intolerance (and then my added wheat allergy... not even touching wheat products) with caring for my family and myself, God has given me new joy in accomplishing even a seemingly easy task like dinner... which isn't as easy as it once was. I'm very blessed to take from the hand of the Lord what He offers and to grow because of that, not despite that. That's the new focus. 

 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.---2 Corinthians 4:17-18

May God grant you His many mercies because of the trials you face, big or small, and may you all grant Him all glory. 

Shalom, 

Kim