Dear friends,
It’s truly been so long since I last blogged. I think almost 7 whole months?! It’s hard to believe, but 2021 was even worse than 2020 which is why the updates were rare. I just didn’t feel well physically and was exhausted mentally.My word of the year was “trust,” and I really did have to completely trust the Lord—as everything was out of my control.
Some of the most difficult challenges of 2021:
As you can see, the pain throughout this past year has been extremely hard. Not just the hip pain, abdominal pain, acute post-op pain from the 3 surgeries, the gallbladder pain when the stone was stuck, but also my daily pain from the mitochondrial disease: migraines/headaches, deep, aching bone pain in my legs, and the small fiber neuropathy in my hands and feet.
It’s so encouraging that Jesus knows what I’m going through and is there for me every step of the way. Yes, 2021 was very rough, and I think I cried more tears than the previous few years combined. But, just like this past year, I know without a doubt that God will be with me in 2022—He promised to never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). I love the comfort that Jesus gives in John 16:33: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Each new year, I pick a word/phrase to focus on, so for 2022, I want to remember Jesus’ exact words: Take Heart. In other words, no matter what happens this year, I pray that I will have peace in the midst of suffering and not lose hope.