The Movers & Shakers of Lifeনমুনা

LEARNING TO OVERCOME

I was in my mid-fifties when I noticed a slight twitching in my head, and because I was walking in front of my late husband, I asked him if he saw my head shaking. He had; it wasn't constant and only lasted for a few seconds.

My father, and an aunt, were never officially diagnosed, but they had what, in their day, they called palsy. I tried to ignore it as it only would happen occasionally, but as the years passed, it became more prevalent and noticeable.

I worked 22 years for a local chamber of commerce, and part of that job was to be very public. I spoke at business breakfasts and had to engage with business members and attend chamber events. I also had my lay minister's license and loved being in the ministry that sometimes put me behind the pulpit in the absence of our Sr. Pastor. I loved being the guest speaker at mother-and-daughter banquets and women's Christian conferences. Unfortunately, tremors and public engagements do not engage well.

Our minds are powerful computers and can convince us that problems will disappear if we don't think about something.

The tremors didn't go away, so I made an appointment with a neurologist. Your mind also tends to think the worst; what if this was a brain tumor?

The specialist ruled out Parkinson's Disease and Muscular Dystrophy. After tests and a family history study, the results gave the doctor enough to inform me that I had Essential Tremors, which are genetic.

Oh God, what does this mean, God, for my future? I know you are a healing God, and my faith was strong. I hoped that God would supernaturally heal me of this unwanted diagnosis!

Fear is the first thing that arises when you hear a diagnosis and hear that there is no cure.

The physician reassured me that there were many advances and medicines; believe me, I have been on them all to no avail, many giving me worse side effects than the tremors themselves.

Today's scripture helped me calm fear, knowing that if I depended on God daily, He would give me the strength to meet each day.

TODAY'S EXERCISE:

Read and reread John 16:33 and get it into your spirit. There is great strength and peace in Jesus's words.