Praise

A year ago, I could not have done this: stand unassisted, loudly singing praises unto Him. For reasons I will never understand this side of Heaven, in less than twenty-four hours, I went from “doing all the things,” including running several miles a day, to suddenly not being able to hold up my own body weight, walk, or audibly talk. When I say this, most people’s reaction is, “Oh my word, what did you have?” It’s not the diagnosis I wish to share, rather the journey. His grace and mercy. His miracles. His goodness.

My days were filled with uncertainty, yet He was my constant. Eleven months of essentially relearning how to do all that comes so naturally to us, was unfathomable. Yet, this is what I did. And it is with absolute certainty, only through His “by design” intervention, that I am here writing this today.

I spent a week in the hospital, waiting for a diagnosis.

It took a month of waiting and three different neurologist before receiving a “one in a million” diagnosis.

Months of speech therapy and many more of physical therapy before I was able to function on a somewhat “normal” basis.

I waited. Daily, I sought Him. I prayed, “Lord, heal me whole.”

If you are in a season where nothing is going right, or according to what you’d planned, you are in a waiting period, my friend. I’ve been there, and it sucks. We want to hurry up, move on, get back on track. We want to grab the reins of our lives and forcefully maneuver it to our desired course. We certainly don’t want to wait. But what if you are in this “waiting period” because there’s something more? What if someone is waiting to show you a better path? One that you couldn’t have even imagined?

“So the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help” (Isaiah 30:18 NLT).

In my wait, I started praising Him. I chose to believe He had something better for me. I knew He would heal me whole. I didn’t know how or when, but I leaned into His promises of making all things good.

And now, one year later, here I am. Writing, which is something I never fathomed. Sharing, which is outside of my comfort zone. Praising, which is all I can do. Because, my friends, He patiently waited for me. For which, I am immeasurably blessed.