Beliefs Determine Our Attitudes in Trials

I don’t talk a lot about my Multiple Sclerosis (MS). It affects my life, but it is not my life.

For the readers that know little about the disease, it causes your immune system to cross the blood-brain barrier and attack the nervous system by destroying the myelin, which is the insulator. Our nervous system is an electrical system and like the ones in our houses, computers, cars, etc., when the insulator deteriorates, things short out. This causes many reactions, with the most common being muscle cramping that impairs functionality. It’s the most obvious symptom depending on where it hits, with the most common area being in the legs, though mine is primarily the left arm. The symptoms harder to point at MS can include fatigue and brain fog. I’ve dealt with both.

Over the years since my diagnosis in 2011, I’ve learned a lot about what I can or can’t do. I know how to listen to my body more closely to ensure I change what I am doing or take a rest period when required. I make sure I move and stretch enough, especially on days where the cramping hurts the most. Being a writer and computer gamer means spending a lot of time with my butt in a chair. Exercise makes me feel better, but where I live makes things a little harder for outdoors.

Overall, I can function, but not for long stints without proper rest periods. A ‘rest’ period from the writing and the computer is housework or a walk. Sometimes it is a long stretching session, including some flat on my back on the floor to help everything realign and relax. I rarely take naps, but if my body wants one, I take it. That is the advantage of my writing life and being the boss of my business. I chose what works for me for each day, since they are never the same with a chronic disease. I set goals by the week and only worry about appointment and meeting times for specific timing. At the end of the week, I can look at my tracking sheet to see how I did and assess if anything requires adjusting.

I receive prayer for the MS and I pray about it myself. I stopped asking God why it was still here. That just makes things worse. What I prefer to do is ask God to allow me to function to do what He needs me to do for the day. Someday He will remove the disease because He can. It is not for me to know why for now, but He keeps telling me little by little. We will live in a fallen world. He still has souls to save, so here we are and I’m doing my best to help those souls know who Jesus is in my little niche.

Having a good life is based on your attitude, no matter what is going on. We can’t control everything and we live in a world that is waiting for Jesus to return at a time none of us knows. He promised we would see trials and tribulations, but to be of good cheer because He overcame the world. Through Him, we can too.

I remind myself that what I speak is what I believe. Our beliefs will determine our attitude. If a belief doesn’t align with the Word, I know I need to work on changing what I believe. Sometimes it takes quite a few times trying to react the way Jesus would want me to, before it sticks. I know without the Holy Spirit indwelling me, all that has happened since 2002 would have been impossible. Including the fact I found a way out of a messy life before I did something drastic. Accepting Jesus totally changed the trajectory of my life for the better, even with all the trials.

We need to decide what we believe. We will act on what our truth is, even if we don’t want to admit it. People will know and God uses people to sharpen people into who He meant them to be. We can do this together with love and understanding through Jesus because changes to accepting a truth hurt. However, that hurt is far less than continuing with the false belief. The choice is yours in which ‘hurt’ you want to live with. Both have consequences. Only one leads to overcoming and becoming a better you.