Faced With a Choice

For many, Wednesday, November 18, 2015 was just an ordinary day, but for me, it is a day that is forever etched in my mind. No one expects or plans for it to happen to them ... including me. While I sensed a bit of anxiety building up within as I sat in the waiting room that afternoon, I also felt an overwhelming sense of peace. Maybe it was the prayers of many who were lifting me up, or maybe it was simply God's presence upon me, knowing that He was right beside me in that moment and confirmation that He would be walking with me and carrying me through in the days, weeks, months and years to come. Not too much time later, the medical diagnosis from my neurologist came ... "Deanna, you have Multiple Sclerosis."

I'll spare you all the details, but throughout most of 2015, I felt like I was being tossed around from one doctor or specialist to another, and had more blood drawn and medical tests completed than I care to admit. Let me tell you that gets draining and rather discouraging after a while! After almost a year of being in the unknowns, having a diagnosis was truly an answered prayer. But even still, nobody wants to be told they have a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system. THAT'S HARD STUFF - at any age ... but I have so much of my life yet to live and dealing with MS was not part of my plan.

This diagnosis was NOT a surprise to God and it is NOT by accident that God hand-picked me to walk through this journey with Him. As I was walking to my car that afternoon while letting a few tears gently fall down my face, I realized I had a choice to make ... a daily choice.

HOW WOULD I RESPOND?

Option A: Would I stand firm in my faith and remain grounded in Christ truly believing that this MS diagnosis is all part of His perfect plan. Would I allow His name to be glorified and honored in the midst of it even on the hardest days?

OR.

Option B: Would I find myself focusing on the negatives, the limitations, or fears of the future and let sadness and depression take rule in my life?

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It's been almost two months since first being diagnosed and while I have daily strived to opt for Option A, it hasn't always been easy. Those days when the physical challenges creep in and want to take over, are hard, but yet even on those days I have a lot to be thankful for, because my God is STILL GREATER. God has NEVER failed me before, and I know without a doubt that no medical diagnosis will change that now. So instead of living in fear of the future or worrying about what is to come, I'm going to continue to strive to be thankful for this journey of MS and look for opportunities that allow me to glorify God’s name and make Him even more known as He continues to piece together my story too!