In Hannah's Words

This is something Hannah wrote. It is something that challenged me and, I imagine, may challenge you!!

So, as most of you know, on Wednesday, April 3, I was diagnosed with a disease called Cystic Fibrosis. CF (Cystic Fibrosis) is a lung and stomach disease. It can be very harmful to the lungs and cause a lot of damage. CF makes it hard to gain weight because your lungs are working extra hard, so all the calories that go in to your body go straight towards fighting off infection in the lungs, therefore you begin to lose weight or struggle to maintain weight. With having CF I have to be aware of my breathing and my weight so that my body can stay healthy. 

Some people can have a hard time with CF, so that’s why I don’t read about it on the internet. All that does is fill my mind with negative information that might not even happen to me. The night I got diagnosed, I called Kara (my mentor) and she asked to pray with me. As she was praying, she was asking the Lord to give me a peace that surpasses all understanding and just a peace of mind. Needless to say, I definitely have that peace. I keep second guessing myself and wondering if I should be more nervous about having the disease, but honestly why should I worry when I have God fighting for me? Why should I worry when God is the great physician? Why should I worry when I am grounded in my faith and I know who the TRUE healer is? 

Like my mom was telling me, God is giving me grace in this situation because He knows that I need it. I have truly used this opportunity to grow and to try and be an influence in other peoples’ lives. Not to brag but, while being at the hospital, many doctors and nurses have commented on what a good attitude I have had during all of this. The only reason is because I know that God is on my side and He will take care of me and, because of that, I have no reason to worry. Being in the hospital has given me an opportunity to ask the nurses what their stories are and I’ve gotten to know so many new people. In the hospital, I put scripture up around the room so that I especially could be reminded daily of what His Word says, but also I didn't know whether the scripture would make an impact on a nurse or someone else who comes in and out of my room. 

One of the biggest things that I have learned from everything I've been going through is this…if I can trust the Lord while going through this, then He can use me to be a light for others and to help challenge others to trust the Lord in every circumstance. I’m thankful for how He is using CF in my life already.