One amazing God: A story of heavenly help

By Erika Rizkallah

But for you who fear my name, the Sun of righteousness will arrive with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. Malachi 4:2

God never ceases to amaze me.

Yesterday afternoon I had my first reflexology massage by Kathy, my amazing massage therapist. Fibromyalgia and my condition, Small Fiber Neuropathy, causes pain to move around in my body. Don't get me wrong, it's always present but somehow it has a mind of its own. This week it's been in my back and feet.

Sometimes I can't find words to describe what it feels like, but imagine having a migraine in your feet and your back at the same time. It's hard to function, especially for a mother. I'm always on my feet, but this time the pain won out.  For part of the week I could only sit or lay down. Such a bummer.

Kathy thought I should try reflexology to see if it helped.

So there I was in her studio. Soft lighting and soothing spa music put me in a relaxed state. My feet were bathed in a warm water bath - you know, the kind with soothing vibration - which had fragrant and healing essential oils added.

Then I hopped up on to the table and she began the treatment. In about fifteen minutes, my back pain ramped up. Burning. Searing. Tears streamed down my face as I gave in to a good (silent) cry and oh how I prayed. I begged God for help over and over as I tried to talk myself off of the metaphorical ledge.
   

I've often heard women suffering from Fibro say they've actually prayed to die. I understand and sympathize. Unrelenting suffering can cause depression and feelings of hopelessness.

But here's the amazing part, all of a sudden, I felt a cooling sensation. Like a cold compress was being pressed onto my back, exactly in the spot that burned. I told Kathy and we both praised God out loud. It lasted the entire length of my massage and gently faded away on the drive home.

                          Jesus heals.

I am so grateful to belong to a God who hears and cares about each one of us.

I hope you feel encouraged to pray - pray with all your heart - when you need God's comfort.

Your turn: Do you have any miraculous stories of comfort or healing?

3 Tips for traveling with chronic pain

By Erika Rizkallah

I just came back from five wonderful days at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer's Conference aka BRMCWC. Writers from as far away as Japan came to learn from gifted authors and writing teachers.

Traveling with chronic pain can be tricky, but the alternative was staying at home and missing out on something valuable to me.

                                     Me and my writing buddies, Angie & Sondra

I chose to go and enjoy myself and I thought I'd do a quick post on traveling. I hope this especially helps during the summer season, when we tend to travel more frequently.

Tip # 1 - Know your body:

The first thing we need to do is know our body and this can be a slow process. Keeping a journal and paying attention to the particular rhythms and nuances is helpful. God created each one of us uniquely and traveling can affect us negatively. We've got to know how we respond to different altitudes, how long we can sit or stand without discomfort and how much luggage we can lug.

Tip # 2 - Cope ahead:

The truth is that we are limited. Acknowledging this fact is the first step to coping effectively. Before I left on my trip I knew I'd have to skip some classes and build in rest and nap time. We were in the mountains and had lots of uphill walking on campus, so I made sure I wore my tennis shoes and took breaks. I also knew I'd sometimes have to say, "no" to my traveling companions or to invitations from others.

Tip # 3 - Plan recovery time:

I knew two six hour drives would wreak havoc on my back and neck, so I scheduled a massage for the day after I returned. Even though I brought a heating pad with me, it was more rigorous than I remembered. I'll just chalk that up to aging and make a note of it for next time. Plenty of naps are on my schedule for the days ahead.

It's important for us to have fun and live out our dreams. It may take longer, but that's ok as long as we keep moving forward!
             
Do you have any travel tips you can share? If so, we'd love to hear them.

                                               Happy Memorial Day!