3-9-15<\/p>\n
\u201cFriends have wondered if I get mad at God for not healing me. Um, sorry, but He\u2019s been healing me since the day I accepted His forgiveness 42 years ago. He has healed bad habits, thoughts, behaviors \u2013 a MOUNTAIN of ugliness in me over the years. How can I question how He works in my life now? I am blessed WAY beyond what I deserve. A few times lately I\u2019ve actually learned to thank God for this illness. He has worked in me more than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those are words written by my friend Mike Atkinson of San Diego. He is on the verge of Stage 5 kidney failure, preparing these very days for dialysis that will keep him alive until he can receive a kidney transplant. I am concerned for Mike as a brother in Christ, but also because my late wife received a kidney transplant at a critical time of need, so I can relate on several levels. (Hers was a 17-year health and success story.) <\/p>\n
Readers can learn about some health questions, but also be inspired by Mike\u2019s faithful responses. (His regular e-mail posts, \u201cMikey\u2019s Funnies,\u201d recommended as one of our links, confirm the sense of humor that helps sustain him.) Here are excerpts from his profile in Refreshed Magazine:<\/p>\n
Is this your first health crisis?<\/em> Yes, at least the first serious one.<\/p>\n What is the prognosis?<\/em> Kidney failure is imminent. Once that happens I will start peritoneal dialysis, a home version that will do the business my kidneys no longer do \u2013 cleaning out toxins and water from my body. Basically dialysis will keep me alive until I can get a kidney transplant. I am blessed in that many people have offered to be donors. I am humbled. <\/p>\n How are you coping during this trial?<\/em> Like a roller coaster. Obviously any physical ailments come with their share of emotional struggles. Since I’ve never dealt with health problems like this, I’ve run the gamut of emotions. I love King David, since he\u2019s a man after God\u2019s own heart. When you read his psalms, you see him yell and wail at the almighty God, and then ultimately fall in the loving arms of his Heavenly Father. He really knew how to process tough stuff; a great model for everyday life. Was there a specific moment you recall when you questioned God? And if so, how did you work through it?<\/em> Not really. Not because I’m any kinda SuperSaint, but because I believe in His sovereignty. I live by the motto, “Accept the reality. Hope for the Divine.” Laugh. It is the best medicine. Whatever makes you laugh, return to it often.<\/p>\n Keep your hobbies. The weakness from the disease doesn\u2019t let me do everything I need to with my plumerias in the yard, but I do what I can. And that brings me much pleasure. [Mike is an award-winning grower of the exotic Hawaiian flower, and has a sign in his garden that reads, \u201cGardening is cheaper than therapy.\u201d]<\/p>\n Find community. For me it has been a couple groups on Facebook of folks around the world with this same disease. It really helps to converse with others going through the same things I am.<\/p>\n Go to church. Every word of every song and sermon has taken on new meaning for me, especially the new-found depth in our classic hymns (Just keep the Kleenex close). God has used all that to bring me strength when I needed it. <\/p>\n Embrace help. I\u2019ve learned that people want to help. And as hard as it is to accept it, I realize that by accepting it I\u2019m allowing God to bless them.<\/p>\n Get outside. I need that. Makes me feel human again.<\/p>\n Get outside yourself. I found I retreated into myself at times \u2013 getting too self-focused. It\u2019s very easy to do with a chronic illness. But I don\u2019t read anywhere in the Bible that people with chronic illness get a pass on serving others. We understand the power of encouraging, serving, caring for others, but I\u2019ve learned that to do all that from a place of weakness is real power. God wants to live in our weakness. The best way I\u2019ve found is being the face of Christ to the hundreds of medical personnel I\u2019ve met in the last year. They don\u2019t get joy from their patients very much, so I can bring some into their lives by relying on God\u2019s joy and hope. <\/p>\n Thank God. Every night when my head hits the pillow, I force myself to thank God. No matter how bad the day may have been, it should could have been worse.<\/p>\n What have you learned about your faith during your journey?<\/em> That faith alone can\u2019t always carry you through the deepest valleys. We are human after all. You need others who can help and even carry you. That\u2019s so hard for me to accept, but I\u2019ve lived that this last year many times. <\/p>\n Some days I just felt like #lifesux. This illness and the related side effects has brought a lot of loss in the last year \u2013 energy, mental abilities, strength, activities, fave foods and drinks, and more; and now struggling with the realization that I will be kept alive by a machine (dialysis).<\/p>\n What have you learned about your family during your journey?<\/em> That I can\u2019t do this without them. Just being with them is fuel for life. Even though my grandkids wear me out, it\u2019s worth every precious ounce of energy. My family\u2019s love and support has carried me many times this past year. I\u2019ve also learned that my family was bigger than I thought, with friends, Bible studies, and churches all around the world praying for me. The \u201cgreat cloud of witnesses\u201d has taken on a whole new meaning. Just blows me away. Let me finish by saying that just because I may have communicated these views does not mean I live them \u2013 or even believe them – all the time. As I said it\u2019s a roller coaster, and God has a lot more work to do on me.<\/p>\n + + +<\/p>\n Mike Atkinson and I worked together (at least when the bosses were watching) at Youth Specialties. Today he is Chairman, Board of Trustees, San Diego Youth For Christ. Mike\u2019s daily blast of wholesome humor is found at Mikeys Funnies<\/a>. Subscribe! And read the full article about Mike in the current issue of Refreshed magazine<\/a><\/p>\n
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\nWhat are your fears?<\/em> That I won’t qualify for the new kidney or if I am that the transplant won’t take or it won’t last long, in case the disease attacks it as well. A big question mark when looking forward. I read an article recently that said everyone gets healed: Medically, divinely, or by going \u201chome.\u201d I\u2019m ready for any of those options. An adage like \u201cI don\u2019t know the future but I know Who holds the future\u201d really becomes real in these situations.<\/p>\n
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\nWhat advice would you give to another person going through a similar journey?<\/em> While physical ailments can bring you down, there are some things that I\u2019ve learned that help remind me that I\u2019m a human and not a blob in a recliner:<\/p>\n
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\nWhat have you learned about God during your journey?<\/em> That He is still God. He doesn\u2019t promise us escape from hard times. He promises to be with us, to walk with us through the dark nights of the soul. Good Christians die every day; they lose their homes; they lose their jobs. God is not a magic potion to get us out of life\u2019s challenges. He wants to be our crutch, so we can lean on Him daily. <\/p>\n