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MIDWEEK STUDY by Kim Dillhoff
“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress…” --Psalm 107:6 Unfortunately, as with all of us who suffer chronic illness and pain, there are times when it is difficult, no matter how much we would like, to follow through with our responsibilities. This is one of those times for me. I suffer with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or ME (as they call it in Europe). Whatever you suffer, you should research it and understand what it is and how it affects you. One of the ways it affects me is cognitively. That means that I cannot think properly. Not that I have wrong thoughts, but that I cannot keep thoughts in an orderly fashion or remember things, maybe even what I just read. I cannot think of the right words to say and tasks that usually come easily take tremendous effort and thought to accomplish. This is one of those days… I sit here with an article half done and cannot finish it. I am saddened by some other circumstances in my life, as well. And when in this type of “flair”, as we call it, these things take on a deeper meaning than they normally would. How then do I keep from becoming depressed and lost in negative thoughts? This is extremely difficult to do when we are chronically ill. When we are chronically ill we should always talk to our Dr’s about depression, but how do I stop from losing my connection with God? THE THING THAT I HAVE LEARNED TO DO FIRST AND FOREMOST IS TO BE THANKFUL. EVEN WHEN I DON’T FEEL THANKFUL, I CAN STILL GIVE THANKS. Here are some scriptures to ponder, to meditate upon. A couple of things He has done for me and then how I should respond. These tie to the article from this site on Thanksgiving, which follows. These have helped me a lot today. I pray that they will touch you, also. Please Enjoy.
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” --Psalm 107:8-9
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.” --Psalm 107:15-16
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of Joy.” --Psalm 107:21-22
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders. --Psalm 107:31-32
To read the article on how we can be thankful even while we deal with chronic illness and pain follow this link: http://www.hopeontheinside.org/MESSAGESthankfulness.html
******************************************************* If you feel overwhelmed and need some support please write to the email address below or go to the Forum on this site. If you are raising a chronically ill child, please send me an email at findingtruejoy@yahoo.com And tell me a little about yourself, including your age and the age(s) of your children, if you don’t mind, so that I can know more about you.
Kim Dillhoff lives outside of Portland, OR with her (supportive) husband of 22 years and two children, still at home. Alex (16) and Katie (13).[here is the link to Katie’s poems that she wrote awhile ago and allowed Hope on the Inside to print. http://www.hopeontheinside.org/KATIESKORNER.html.] Kim, also has a son, Rob (25) who lives near her. Kim and Katie both suffer from Fibromyalgia (FM) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Kim also suffers from Myofacial Pain Syndrome (MPS). She was diagnosed in 2000. Kim has been a Christian most of her life. But has followed Jesus’ teachings much more closely, in order to have a personal relationship since 2002. She feels blessed that God has set her in a family by blood and of Christian sisters who support her, and her family, with prayer and love.
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