For me, being #shakennotforsaken is:
1) Remembering the blessing of having a husband that takes care of me and our kids...and allowing that blessing in my life. Most of us have that sort of blessing in our lives, but do not allow it due to our own pride. That blessing may not come in the form of an awesome husband like mine, but in other brothers and sisters in Christ.
The most difficult part of this type of suffering is that it doesn't just affect me, but our entire family. As a stay-at-home mom/homemaker, my job is to take care of my family and our house. This is much more difficult to do when there are days that you physically cannot get out of bed and days where it seems too daunting to.
In the past, Joshua has had to become a "single dad," taking care of the household chores, meals, and our children (and everything that comes with that). He is a very "hands on" dad and that has been a comfort for me, but I can't help but feel that I am letting my family down. Joshua also reminds me that our circumstances are not a surprise to God and that He will give our kids grace (as He gives us grace) to deal with these circumstances. God gives us grace moment-by-moment, not for tomorrow, but for each day as it comes.
2) Remembering God's sovereignty...the truth is that we (our family, particularly Joshua and I) have been though this type of suffering before. I was experiencing symptoms that could not be explained by the various doctors that I counsulted. We prayed for a wise doctor, diagnosis, and treatment. But, we also believed in God's complete sovereignty...God will do what glorifies Himself and it may not glorify Him for me to be healed, but to live in the current circumstance, for whatever reason, believing that would glorify Him the most.
Now that I am experiencing somewhat unexplained symptoms and physical ailments/discomfort yet again, I am finding myself back at that place of longing, yearning, and trusting in God's sovereignty...total dependence on Him. There are days that are exhausting; physically, emotionally, and spiritually, but I pray for healing and comfort.
3) Remembering to trust the wise counsel that God has perfectly placed in my life...meaning my doctors. Dr. Chi, my rheumatologist, has been a literal "lifesaver" as far as my physical health and Dr. Thompson, my psycharist, has been a literal "lifesaver" as far as my mental health. Both are Christians and understand the importance of God's sovereignty in our (Joshua and I) approach to dealing with these circumstances. They both have gone above and beyond what most doctors would...for that we are truly thankful. They have given me every reason and indication to trust them, hence trusting God. Trusting God and His provisions, in my opinion, is one of the most vital parts of being #shakennotforsaken.
4) Remembering to take the right perspective. So, I am notorious for quoting Relient K song lyrics...God speaks to many people in many different ways and for me, Matthew Thessien has been somewhat of a discipler in my life. His lyrics are rich in Scripture (without quoting Scripture outright). One of the lyrics that I have held on to during this time is, "When a nightmare finally does unfold, perspective is a lovely hand to hold..." Though what I am facing is nowhere near a nightmare, it is still a great reminder to have a right perspective on your circumstances.
Paul Tripp says, "When you tell yourself that you're all alone in your struggles, you are believing an anti-gospel that forgets the presence of Christ." That is the essence of being #shakennotforsaken.
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