Moving Beyond the Wrapping of Chronic Illness

I can remember our first Christmas with our daughter Roxanne. She was just 6 months old and we had very little money to spend on Christmas. We were new parents and I had waited so long for a child that my heart was tearing to spoil her with bright festive gifts under a beautifully lit Christmas tree. My husband was in the military at that time and the base marked all the trees down to $5.00 so we did have a Christmas tree. With a bit of stretching we even got a gift or two for Roxanne.

Christmas arrived and I can remember the excitement of that morning. Oh how she enjoyed the bright bows and the crisp wrapping paper. And boxes, wonders of wonders, she loved those boxes! But the gifts, those gifts that I had labored in choosing and dreamed about sharing with her…I had painted a picture of giggles, squeals, and smiles all in response to those carefully chosen treasures. Well those gifts were pushed to the side while those much coveted giggles, squeals, and smiles were lavished over the wrappings and trapping of the gifts.

Now years later as I reflect on Roxanne’s behavior I wonder at the similar behavior of so many Christians to the gifts God bestows upon us His children. How often do we react not as mature adults, but rather infants, desiring, coveting, and setting up as priceless, the wrappings and trappings rather than the gifts? Often it is the wrappings and trappings we pray for, spend our time crying over, and give a much-coveted place in our hearts to, giving little notice to those gifts lovingly chosen and caressingly wrapped by our Abba Himself.

Some may have experienced the stark reality of being pushed aside and forgotten by others due to your undesirable wrapping and trappings. But for the one with chronic illness often we are blessed as our challenges have pushed us beyond the packaging and pressed one’s heart toward one very priceless gift.

Crippled, in pain, isolated, lonely, financially stretched or yes even broke. Those are the trappings. But when you remove the wrap, throw aside the box, one can get to the heart that contains the gift that is more precious than silver. The gift I talk about is the gift of faith. Many say it takes faith to be healed. I believe it takes faith not to be healed. To move beyond a strong, straight, and healthy body, to giving as the widow did, all one has. A word of praise through a cry of pain, crippled hands folded in prayer, thankfulness for another day though it is a day filled with physical exhaustion and pain. When so many others sleep restfully, the one with this gift of faith lies awake. Exhausted and facing the long hours of the night alone, the widow goes to the treasury drops in praise and intercession. While others slumber and rest the widow lies awake entering yet another battle, fought not only in the body but also in the spirit giving all she has to give.

And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. Luke 21: 1-4

Health and wealth can be very desirable trappings. They are not wrong in and of themselves, but I encourage each to look beyond trappings. Seek God and the gifts He has hidden under the wrap of chronic illness.

I know how hard it is to look beyond the wrapping of fatigue and pain. How difficult it is to toss aside the box of isolation and misunderstanding. I too have often lifted the package back and said Lord, another please? But in His grace He has chosen to move me to depths so that I could move higher in Him, and in those depths it is the mercy of His Word that sustains me.

If we will look beyond the packaging we will see that though we do not always understand the purpose, we can see the results in a heart that is stronger and purer, a heart rich with the gifts of faith, compassion, acceptance, peace beyond understanding, and strengthened with His joy.

This holiday season as you select and wrap gifts take a moment to reflect on both the wrapping and the gift. Which is really most important?

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1: 17

Have a blessed and joyful Holy Day season in Jesus,

Love

Cindy

2002