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?

Love and Limitations: Jesus comforts in affliction

By Erika Rizkallah

I know in my last post I said something about embracing my limitations. Well, maybe embrace was too strong a word because at some point in the week I'm pretty sure I broke down and cried a little.

On the plus side, my condition comes with memory loss so I can't remember it very well.

I think instead of embracing my limitations, I'll just give them a pat on the shoulder for now. You know, like we do with those awkward people we don't really want to hug.

Also, I want to share something that happened this week. In my sorrow, Jesus comforted me. Days after my little meltdown I was lamenting about my inability to serve him like I used to. During my prayer talk, I was filled with a warm love. It didn't come from within me, but was aimed at me!

His acceptance and kindness rushed over me like a waterfall.

I felt in my soul, that he loved me simply because he created me.

                                   It's true for you as well!

He doesn't care that we're not well enough or strong enough to do things for him. He doesn't need us to do anything for him. If anyone knows about our suffering and affliction, it's Jesus. He is our healer and savior and gives of himself freely and generously.

My prayer for all of us this week is that we simply accept his gifts and enjoy his presence.
                              May you be filled with his peace ~ Erika

Blessings In Disguise

By Erika Rizkallah

I have a love-hate attitude about my chronic pain, a condition called Small Polyfiber Neuropathy. Of course I hate pain. But if I didn't have it, I wouldn't have been given a gift. One of those blessings in disguise things, if you know what I mean. 

Living an Unstuck life is all about freedom and movement. As we walk along the path of life God set out for us, we have freedom and rest for our souls. We also have movement... 

            We're walking with Him.

We're not stuck. 

However, we can be lured into that trapped/stuck lifestyle at any time. We have an adversary (Satan) who spends 100% of his time trying to kill, steal and destroy our life and everything meaningful to us.

Let's face it, we don't spend 100% of our time on anything; this gives him an advantage over us if we're not walking in the spirit.

We can be following God's plan when out of nowhere, we're hit with the rotten parts of life: confusion, crisis, strife in the home or an illness. These things come with decisions: Are we going to continue moving or are we going to let it paralyze us?

That's what happened to me when illness first struck. I didn't know what my body was doing or why - and neither did the doctors. Everything came to a screeching halt (me = screeching). But after a while, I resolved to get back on my feet and serve Him in my weakness. 

I also wanted to press on with my goals and enjoy the full life Jesus meant for me to have. 

I love to sing. I've been singing since I was four and was in choirs until high school. Then I got kicked out (long story) and stopped singing in groups. For the past three years I've been telling God I'd sing in his choir in Heaven, but several weeks ago I thought NO...I'm going to sing now! 

So I prayed for a choir I could sing with, and then...voila! I got the opportunity and joined it. Best of all, I get to sing with my daughter, Katya. 

Our choir is a mixed group of teens and adults and we traveled together to Tennessee to see three regional Broadway plays and perform a concert for a large church.

                                                       Two of our fave actors: Anna & Austin

I can't explain how joyful I felt watching people praise God from our position behind the pulpit. I now know what it means to offer myself as a living sacrifice and it was worth every ounce of pain I feel now.

                                                          Enjoying life with my daughter 
                                                                                               (I take terrible selfies)

What about you? Have you recognized any blessings in disguise from your illness?

Has your doctor put you in limbo? Being a patient takes patience

By Erika Rizkallah

Last week I followed up with my neurologist to get the final results from a three-part testing process I went through.

He called me into his office to let me know that my diagnosis is Small Polyfiber Neuropathy, which boils down to this: it hurts to have skin.

Technically it's a nerve disease in the small fibers of the body and there is no cure. Most people have it in the feet and legs but I have it all over. Most people are diabetic or overweight and can improve the pain through lifestyle change, but I'm neither diabetic nor overweight.

My case is considered idiopathic which boils down to this: They are clueless.

So my doctor put me in limbo for six months in the hope that The Mayo Clinic, The Cleveland Clinic or George Washington University would discover the cause. Obviously someone's been doing their research. The bad news for patients like me is that it takes about 10 years of research and clinical trials before any medicine can be prescribed.

So I'm in limbo. My doctor said, "Do you understand what I mean by limbo?" And I said, "yes."
Later I wondered why on earth do I understand limbo? Because it's not an actual place, it's a state of indecision. So I looked it up and it's also a theology, movie, dance and game that people play at parties.

But only young girls are successful, because older people break their backs playing this silly game. My clumsy family has never made it under the limbo stick, no matter how many times we try.

Why am I putting the name of my disease out there? It's been discovered that women with my condition and those that suffer from "pins and needles" or "ants running up arms and legs" often get diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

At any rate, the sensations ARE NOT NORMAL, so if you suffer from them, get to the doctor and see if they can find an underlying cause before more damage is done.

And take heart. Technological advances are making medications safer so that we can have a better quality of life.
                                                           Being a patient takes patience.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

                                                                                                  Ecclesiastes 7:8