Hello everyone! Sorry I’m a day late. 🙂 To be honest, I’m still recovering from a health crash right after the conference. That, and I’ve been working on some book-related stuff. So this week I don’t have a normal post, but you’ll have to excuse me considering the reason behind it. Besides, oftentimes songs have spoken to me in my illness and touched me in ways written words never could in those moments. So enjoy! If you have sensory sensitivity, I am deeply sorry. I know from personal experience how depressing it can be to not be able to listen to music. With each song, I’ll also include a link to the lyrics just for you so that you won’t be left out. Hugs and prayers!
Okay, I’m trying really hard not to just gush over each of these songs with lots of positive adjectives. But Trust in You by Lauren Daigle also met me in some of my darkest places. I remember one day in particular. We were at a cabin in Montana, and it was raining-snowing. My family went out for a hike, and I was left home (yet again), miserable. Another song on repeat. Through the years and months, this was a reminder that I desperately needed. Even if not, I will trust.
In Good Company has comforted me more recently — in the crazy painful process of grieving all that illness has broken and stolen from me. It’s not wrong to grieve. It’s not wrong to be angry about illness. Because God isn’t happy about illness either. It’s the consequence of sin. But this song speaks to that. And it reminds me that not only is it not wrong to grieve — something I was really wrestling with when I first came across this song — but we are not alone in our grief either.
Note: I could not find plain lyrics for the song, but if you mute the lyric video, you can still see them without all the auditory sensory issues for those who need it.
This song is so special to me. I remember one morning in particular, sitting on the couch, crying and listening to Oh My Soul on repeat for at least thirty minutes. The lies swirling through my head were so nasty, and this song helped me through many of my darkest, hardest times. Another time, using the lyrics, I even wrote what I think is the most vulnerable writing piece I’ve ever written. Plus, this song is also special because Mark Hall wrote it out of his battle with cancer. (You can watch him share his story here.)
A friend sent this to me on a day I was struggling. Sovergien Over Us is a great reminder of who our God is no matter who our storm is. Even when our lives seem anything but “good”, our God’s plans are still to prosper. He is still working out everything for our good ad we still have a hope and a future. Even chronically ill. Sickness cannot steal that away from us.
And obviously, I couldn’t make a list of songs for chronically ill Christians without including Diamonds by Hawk Nelson. For those who are wondering, yes, it was what inspired the title of my book, He’s Making Diamonds: A Teen’s Thoughts on Faith Through Chronic Illness. Jon Steingard even wrote the foreword for the book! I love this song for so many reasons, which I share more in-depth here, but it’s such an important reminder that God has a plan in our pain. He is using the pressure to make us into diamonds. He allowed this for our good — because He loves us.
Phew, that was hard. I mean, only FIVE songs? How am I supposed to do that? Those five are awesome, but I have so many songs that have encouraged me throughout this chronic illness journey. If you need any more once you listen to those five, I do have an entire playlist of songs that encourage me while I was writing He’s Making Diamonds (and you bet I have one for Light After Darkness too, that one just isn’t public yet) which you can find here. What about you? Do you have any songs that have encouraged you in trials? I’m always on the lookout for me — share them in the comments!
Lastly, in case you somehow missed Diamonds 2019, the free online conference for chronically ill Christians I hosted last weekend, don’t forget that you can view the recorded version of all the sessions here! Until next week.
“There’s a place where fear has to face the God you know. One more day, He will make a way. Let Him show you how you can lay this down. ‘Cause you’re not alone.”
This was a blessing Sara, thank you <3
<3 I'm so glad! I love that song so much.