Health

2012: A Year of Thanksgiving and Praise

Day 5: I'm thankful for health.

There is nothing like not having something to really appreciate it when you do have it. For the majority of my life I have been "as healthy as a horse", as the old saying goes. I was raised in one of those families that just didn't get sick. We didn't miss work or school due to illness, because we just weren't ever ill.

Sure, we would get an occasional case of the sniffles, but nothing ever kept us down.



After enjoying excellent health for most of my life, I did develop a couple of strange issues. During my 2nd trimester of my pregnancy with my son, I developed a goiter in my neck and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Apparently this isn't terribly uncommon during pregnancy, and it usually resolves on it's own after the baby is born.  Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with me. I finally ended up having to have surgery to remove the growth which was mostly fluid-filled.

Fast forward to last October... I was referred to UAMS for a large growth in my abdomen. Apparently, an ovary had gone awry probably a few years previous, and my body had once again developed a large fluid-filled growth. This one weighed approximately 35 pounds and contained more than 7 liters of fluid.

The really interesting thing was when they did the pathology on the mass they removed they found thyroid tissue in my ovary. I have to wonder if those thyroid antibodies were still on their search and destroy mission and destroyed my ovary.

Anyway, I digress...

I'm thankful for health. Twice in my life, now, I have had a condition slowly develop over a number of years. When something happens gradually like that, you don't realize how "unhealthy" you feel. In both instances, I have experienced an immediate and incredible difference in my body... the way I looked, the way I felt, the amount of energy and stamina I had available...

Health, or the lack of health, affects so many things. You are more productive when you are healthy. You look better. You feel better. You are emotionally and mentally stronger. You have more confidence. Everything about your life and circumstances changes.

I am thankful for my health. 

My pastor says that the time to manifest health is when you are well. That may sound a little strange, but it makes sense if you think about it. God's Word tells us that we are healed by the stripes of Jesus. I believe that when we stand on biblical promises, they become the truth of our circumstances.

When the doctors were saying terminal cancer, I was saying the end result was health.

Twice now I have suffered from a significant illness. And twice now, God has seen me through and my health has been restored. On day 5 of the new year, I am thankful for my health.

Whether you are healthy or ill, start reading God's promises on health. Start confessing them to be true for you. Say what God's Word says about you. Some good scriptures to start with are:

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all our diseases." 

~ Psalm 103:2-3

"He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." 

~ Psalm 107:20

"Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; 

the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, 

and by His stripes we are healed." 

~ Isaiah 53:4-5

"Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard." 

~ Isaiah 58:8

"But if the Spirit of Him ho raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." 

~ Romans 8:11

"Who Himself bore our sins in His own boy on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed." 

~ 1 Peter 2:24

"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." 

~ 3 John 2