Monday, September 16, 2013

I Choose to Overcome

Well, Invisible Illness Awareness Week is coming to a close. Well, it's closed actually (or will be by the time I finish this post) and I realized I hadn't even written a blog about the slogan of the week which was "Invisible Illness isn't a choice, but I choose to______" and I'm choosing to overcome. I'm not only choosing to overcome, but one day at a time. Because let's face it invisible illnesses are overwhelming little boogers.

So what does overcome mean? According to the dictionary overcoming means to succeed in dealing with a problem or difficulty. This is why I am choosing to overcome one day at a time because you can't fully deal with chronic illness all at once. It's just not possible. But a big part of what I've learned from overcoming, I've learned from the Bible and from Jesus. Especially from the verse “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. There is just something about realizing that one person (even though He is like God) can overcome the whole entire world that makes me think that I can overcome a couple little measly chronic illnesses for one more day, right? 

So how do I overcome my chronic illness? I do things like go to school every day despite how sick I am, stand up for myself even though so many people think I'm making this all up, I still stay built up spiritually through a C-group at my church and going to church. I have hobbies. I try to stay as active as I can despite falling asleep all the time or other symptoms I have constantly. 

I also use quotes and Bible verses and song lyrics to help me overcome. So the rest of this post is going to be quotes that I thought were indicative of chronic illness and overcoming circumstances. This is A) because they say it better than I could and B) because I'm tired and in a lot of pain and this is easier.

So here is some overcoming inspiration for you:

This is very much the truth! And I'm being reminded of it constantly lately
Must remind myself daily.
How apt that Helen Keller, who had disabilities herself, realized the value of overcoming too.

Overcoming more and more everyday. 

This does not specifically have to do with overcoming, but it hangs in my room next to my bed which is where I end up when I'm too sick to do anything else: In case you can't read it very well it says:

some days
I can be strong, I can be weak
I can be proud, I can be meek
I can be gentle, or I can be tough
I can explode when I've had enough
sometimes I laugh, sometimes I cry
sometimes I lose, but I will always try
I always get up, when I get knocked down
and make a smile, out of any frown
I hope that God likes me, the day that we meet
if only for chance, to sit at His feet
and be by His side, year after year
while all the bad things just disappear
so when life gets tough, and it's hard to be strong
I'll never forget....
HEAVEN IS WHERE I BELONG

To me this last poem that hangs on my wall, next to my chronically ill self, that is usually is staring at it after I've just failed at overcoming for the day sums up our life with chronic illness (or any trial or tribulation for that matter) up perfectly!!! Every day is a struggle, every day there is good and there is bad. But we have to get up when we are knocked down, laugh it off and try again. Because God is waiting for us, to sit at His feet, where there is no more pain and no more sorrow. Heaven is where we belong folks. We don't have to worry about overcoming, He's already done it for us. But we do have to fight, until He calls us home. We also need to remember that these breakdowns that we are having are just breakthroughs to a better me and a greater future because I am an overcomer through Christ! 

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