Today we have a guest post by my friend and fellow author Natalie Marie.

Why is it that when we’re the most healthiest, we see it as a blessing from God, but when we’re sick, we get angry and go through the several stages of grief?

That is one conundrum that I have found myself in lately.

Almost a decade ago, I was one of the healthiest people in my family. I ate healthy, took long walks with my dog, and went bike riding. I only got sick once in the bluest of blue moons. Why was I so healthy? The only reason I could come up with was that I was a high school sophomore and junior in the sports world, and I had to stay in shape. I had to stay healthy to perform well.

Then I started noticing that my health was declining and my interests in outdoor activities was diminishing at a slow pace. The bike riding started to become a chore and the walks were tiring after I was halfway through them. It eventually got to a point where I just stopped altogether, and I started to wonder if I would ever be the high-spiking, volleyball-playing, active woman like I was as a teenager.

I was sick. I knew it, my family knew it, but no one knew how to help me or what was going on.

I was finally diagnosed with physical anorexia and some other health issues a few months ago. Basically, my cells were closing up on themselves which was affecting my ability to eat. In the times that I’ve been stuck in bed because of low energy or during downtime at work, I’ve always turned to two things: God and my writing.

Even though my 7-year-long prayer for a reason was finally answered, I also find myself sometimes asking God for the little things, like energy to get through a day or clear, concise thoughts for my writing.

Basically, to write well, write well. This also goes for when we’re sick too. We don’t have to push ourselves harder to meet deadlines that were set when we were fully well and able to do them easily. Writing well may mean that we let a project sit for a few days. And believe me, this thought goes for any topic. Not just writing.

So, what would this look like in other areas? Well for those of us in school it could mean just doing one subject for the day instead of all five. At work it could look like just getting through the shift and resting when it’s available. At home it may mean doing chores in shifts and resting with family and friends. Or just saying no and giving your body a complete rest.

Enjoy the time that you’re well. Cherish the moments when living life is as easy as breathing, and don’t take them for granted because you never know how long it may last. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says that to everything there is a season, and a time and purpose under heaven. (Ecc. 3:1) Then it goes on to list different times (or seasons). As I look at this verse, I could add in my own list: A time to be sick, and a time to be well.

I don’t know how long it will take for me to fully recover and reverse my anorexia. But I know that no matter how long it takes, God is at work, so I need to do my part as well. One of my favorite scenes in the movie Facing the Giants is when coach Grant Taylor is met outside his office by an elderly gentleman who had been praying for a revival in that high school. In the conversation, the gentleman proposed a story about two farmers who had prayed for rain, but only one prepared his fields to receive it.

In answer to the question of who Grant thought was acting on faith that God would answer, he replied back “Well, the one who prepared his fields for it.”

The same goes for us, we may believe that God’s promises are true, but in the times that we are faced with uncertainty, in the times when we’re sick, are we going to believe and prepare for our rain?

Did you like the article? Make sure to comment below! What season are you in? 🙂