Sara, the "right" words escape me, so I'll just say that I love you.
Candy
· 4 months ago
Sara, I've never seen you in person, so to me you'd be simply beautiful as one of the "imaginary friends" Ron says I have. I am in awe of how you can make writing about your pain such a beautiful testimony to our Lord. Please know you're in my prayers.
Brenda
· 4 months ago
Your beauty will never be masked by your exterior appearance. Love you.
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Rita
· 4 months ago
How much I think of you during my days when much is difficult. My days are not nearly so tough as yours. I pray for you....I want you to feel rested, peaceful, and to get your self back at least to where it isn't so hard. Will continue to pray. You are showing us our days are better than we think. That God is what it's all about. Thank you Gitz.
brandiandboys
· 4 months ago
sara, please know that you are loved by our family and lifted up in our prayers. thank you for sharing your struggles and choosing to be authentic, i'm sure you don't feel like it, but you are inspiring!
Sara, I have been reading your blog for a few months. I've commented a few times, but you tugged on my heartstrings. You're words have always been an inspiration to me! My disabilities and struggles become challenges and road bumps. I have appreciated reading your insight into God's encouragement and seeing how you just keep going! Thank you for striving to live a brave, obedient, diligent life. God bless you! I am praying for you!
Guest
· 4 months ago
It was great talking w/ you the other day. I miss you so much and wish I could be with you all the time. The peace God has given you is very comforting to me and so painful at the same time. I love you!! Jen
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Kaycee
· 4 months ago
Thanks for being so real, as always. Being a person with body issues myself, I cannot imagine what you are going through with that loss of control on top of everything else. You are beyond inspiring. You are amazing. I am ever hopeful that things improve for you.
Guest
· 4 months ago
you are qualified at doing the best you can in the moment and i am sure thats all anyone expects.Everytime you blog you are sharing and singing to a congregation in a different way and how amazing is that from the confines of your home!! My aunt battled breast cancer and was on steroids and looked nothing like herself but I have never in my life seen a more beautiful spirit shining behind those eyes. You , your spirit , the essence of who you are is still there , i hope you will find a way to love and embrace her..HUG
SusanD
· 4 months ago
Sara, I think of you and pray for you daily. I would that I had words to express how my heart goes out to you. One of my new blog friends states is best: God doesn't call the qualified.....He qualifies the called. How He does that is different for each of us. I'm just thankful He brought us together. My life is better from knowing you. You're such an inspiration to me. Blessings, SusanD
Sara, I, too, think of you daily, wonder what each day brings you, if you're well enough to write, and how you're coping on any particular day. What a wonderful thing this internet is, though, because you are very much a part of the outside world through this, and you are, in a sense, inviting us into your home and your world, for as much as you'd like to let us in. And as much as you're going through, your posts are so eloquent and have so much meaning in them for us all, and hopefully help you in being able to share a little bit of what you're going through. Hope tomorrow is a good one . . .
I hate this. I hate that you're suffering. You know--that's what's so hard for your loved ones to see. They don't care if you've gained 40 pounds--or 400! What's so hard for them is that they love you so much, and they know this hurts you so deeply. The tears are not because you're ugly--they're because you're hurting. They just want your hurt to go away.
I know I've never met you, but I want Jesus to take your hurt away too.
I don't get this, and I don't see any answer in sight. But I do know this: my God, YOUR God, created the entire universe by speaking it into existence. He knit you together, bit by bit, in your mama's womb. NOTHING is too hard for Him. He wants your ultimate good, and He wants glory.
You're giving Him glory. Trust Him with the rest. As stinkin' hard, hard, HARD as that is right now. Oh, I can't even imagine!
I love you millions!! Praying, praying, praying for you, you beautiful girl!
as unqualified as any of us are to help, I feel like I should just let you know that my thoughts are with you 100%. thanks for allowing us into your world and allowing people to let you know how good you are.
Guest
· 4 months ago
Humbled by your story. In awe of a mighty God that choses to tell His story through such unqualified creations. Praying. God Bless.
Janet
· 4 months ago
Dear Sara, when my husband was being treated for a glioblastoma brain tumor, he was immediately put on steroids to keep the pressure under control. In the eight months before he died, he put on nearly 60 pounds and like you, the weight was disproportionately in his head, neck and torso. My heart ached for him, not because of the weight gain and what that did to his body, but rather for what the tumor took from him. He was still my handsome life partner, my best friend ever, and the love of my life. I've seen the pictures on your blog site, and you are, I'm sure, still the beautiful person who has touched my heart and the hearts of so many others. God didn't choose an unqualified person in you. You are certainly qualified to share God's love, the strength he gives each one of us and the joy that can be shared in the time of distress, struggles and even anguish. If I could sit beside you in person, I would hold your beautiful face in my hands and tell you how truly beautiful you are. With prayers and love, janet
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Lauratina
· 4 months ago
I love you, I love you, I love you!!.....and then I love you some more!!!!
Kathryn
· 4 months ago
Our pastor ended his sermon today by asking, "Are you trusting God that he has your best interests in mind?"
And i found i was saying, "No! No i'm not trusting because i can't imagine that this is God's best for me," & yet i know i'm called to trust him. I'm not sure i'm qualified.
My issues are not as severe as yours, but still debilitating. And once again i had someone at church tell me i don't have enough faith, etc. It is so hard! And i so admire how you handle it & meet the challenges, Sara.
I know that His power is made perfect in our weakness.
I know that He is able to make you stand.
And I know, even though we have never met and probably never will, even though you have gained weight, are in pain, and are physically isolated....
I know that you are beautiful.
Krystal
· 4 months ago
So, so sorry. I can't even begin to describe how my heart hurts for you, but please know I am praying for you. I understand what it's like to no longer look like "you" anymore, and I also know what it's like for those you love to have trouble looking at you because you're different. I personally, think you're beautiful, and while your face might be a little different, your heart is most certainly still beautiful. I know that when you're looking in the mirror, that doesn't help. Girls are so vain, but we can't help it! When I got sick, I lost so much of my energy. I'm so tired all of the time, and fixing up really takes too much out of my. It's more important that I can cook dinner for the hubs or watch tv with him. I hated sitting with him with no make up on at first. Hated it. I'd never let anyone outside my very immediate family see me without my hair done and my face on. Now, I'm glad for the times I DO have the energy to get pretty, but they're few and far between. It makes me feel dumpy, so I do other things to combat that. I take lots of bubble bath. I wear perfume every day, even in my nightgown. I have my hubs paint my toe nails. I don't know exactly what you can and can't do, but I know that there are enough people that love you that someone would come and give you manis and paint your toes a couple of times a month. Sometimes, a little pampering will make you feel better for a bit. Please don't focus on the mirror. The people who love you think you're beautiful regardless, and the rest of them don't matter anyway.
my beautiful, sweet friend... i feel unqualified to even respond, never mind to be the friend you deserve. i love you so damn much.
Christ in you is so evident, so overwhelming, that it challenges the deepest parts of me. you show me Him, fritz.
you put skin on hebrews 10:23-24 for me as you hold unswervingly to the hope you have in God's faithfulness and as you spur me on to be more like Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 {{you are SO living out verse 4 Sara!}}
The God of All Comfort 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
Pol
· 4 months ago
Go to a mirror. Just look in your eyes, you are still there. Who you are hasn't changed, except to become stronger, more driven and inspirational. No matter how much the shell changes, it is just there to protect the inner you. The extra bits and pieces are just cushioning for the bit of rough weather you are going through.
Remember that you are loved and that you are not alone. The beauty in your eyes, your spirit and your presence cannot be dulled, changed or lost.
Just keep moving forward.
You are in my thoughts always
Kristy
· 4 months ago
Oh, Sara, I'm praying for you as you go through this difficult time. I'm sure that it's not an easy time for you, but hopefully this phase will pass.
What an awesome post. You inspire all of us to be thankful for what we have. And, you have every right to hurt. But, you also inspire us to trust in God. Life isn't always what we plan. We can all only hope to be as strong as you are in adversity. Your faith is a marvelous testimony!! Thanks for posting. Our prayers are with you!
Vicky
· 4 months ago
What thoughtful, amazing comments.
I'm in awe of your ability to lay yourself wide open to us. What a cruel irony for someone with body image struggles, to face unwelcome weight gain, its like adding insult to injury...
You are teaching... with a far reach. Your message rings true just as clear as ever. Your words here, are proof of what cannot be touched by illness. Your spirit and faith still shine through, and that is where your beauty lies.
Loving you here today!
Shannon
· 4 months ago
My sweet love, I am weeping for you as I read this, not because I feel sorry for you, but because my heart physically aches. As I read this, not only did the tears start to pour, but the chills came up. Unqualified is a great way to describe how you feel, what you're going through, and how you'll make it out. But you WILL make it out. You are there. Our God? He's qualified to take us through anything. He's the Creator, the Beginning and the End, the All. Every little bit.
You are choosing joy, choosing hope, choosing life, no matter how dark things have gotten. Right now, I am thinking they have gone from gray to black, meaning that you need to shove that rock aside and search for the sun. If you'd let me visit, I'd come. People who love you are reacting to your physical, and you're responding to it, much the way someone who has been in a disfiguring accident with limb loss, or a fire with buring would....you are still there. I repeat myself b/c I think you need to see it, hear it, own it.
I know you can't find "you" in the mirror, but I am going to trust that you'll return. I have to trust it, because if I didn't, we wouldn't be walking together in faith on this. Our God is amazing, steady, unchanging, a mountain beneath our feet. Hold on to His steadfast promise that He'll never leave you nor forsake you. I won't either. You are taking the steps of acceptance, beginning by owning that you know what you're doing when you change to be who people think you should be...your heart is so big you want to remove their pain. I love that about you. Really though? We just want you okay. People cry b/c they can't take your burden. Sometimes (often) it is okay to cry with them.
I felt the need to continually pray for you Saturday through the night (every 20 minutes or so) and I heeded the call . I hope it helped...maybe you were working on this post, where you are beautiful and so vunerable. This one's a life-changer. I can only imagine the peeps that you'll touch like you did me. You are my champion, friend. Love, Shan
Another one here without words. But I am praying for you. And I know that you are beautiful.
Heidi L.
· 4 months ago
Right now, I wish I had half your eloquence in stating how I feel for you and about you. You are amazing and it absolutely breaks my heart that you are going through this right now. Hugs to you!!!
Jan C.
· 4 months ago
Well, hell, Sara! That's so deep I don't even know what to say here. I can only identify with you in a sort of shallow way. But here it is. I'm about to turn 50 on Labor Day. And every time I look in the mirror, I just don't quite recognize myself anymore. In my mind, I'm still about 21, but what 21-year-old has wrinkles and bags around their eyes, weird stuff happening to their neck, gray hair covered by incessant applications of Miss Clairol, and ever-more-crepelike skin on their hands? This is shallow by comparison, but I kind of get what you are saying. The person you see in the mirror is not the person you see in your mind's eye. It's like you are staring at a stranger.
Fortunately, the person I see in the mirror is also not the person God sees! Because when I look in the mirror, I see the person who sometimes says hurtful things to her loved ones, isn't always as generous as she should be, and hardly ever lives up to what God probably expected of her when he put her on this earth. It's only my faith in the idea that God sees the "real" me that gets me through the day. He sees the one who is lovable no matter what. The real Jan who is just having a bad moment here and there, but who is really a good person inside. When I keep that in mind, I realize that it doesn't matter what my body looks like. It's all about what God sees in the end.
Sweet friend ... I am praying for you to have healing and for you to see yourself the way God see you ... through His eyes. I know God's eyes are shining with love and pride as He walks through this with you. He is at your side closer than Riley! :) Praying, too, for you to know peace that passes all understanding when you look at your beautiful self and to know that people love you for you and not your physical beauty or flaws. Thank you for sharing your struggle ... it reminds us all of how fragile we are and how fragile life is. You are most precious! Love you! ... Debra
I too am a reader who does not know you, your honestly along with your beautiful writing (and your doggie) are an education to us all. I wish you strong faith, belief in the beauty of your heart and soul and the knowledge that many are praying for you.
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House on Ranchero
· 4 months ago
I am so totally missing you and you are so totally in my thoughts and prayers daily! :*
Guest
· 4 months ago
Sweetie, once more you've been honest...thank you. My little brother suffered from something totally different (Ewings Sarcoma) but similar in the way his appearance was affected. The cancer was in in his temple and surgeries caused his face to be terribly disfigured. I can't tell you how walking with him changed me forever. Something sacred happens when someone is coping with these types of obstacles.
I love you. I pray this part of journey comes to an end soon and that you will have relief ... Oh I wish I could do more. Love to you Sweet One.
I wish I was there. I have never met you. I could come to your door and I would have nothing to compare your current to in the past.
I know my heart would still pray for you to be whole. If you wanted to cry I would with you. Sometimes new friends are almost as special as the old ones. New ones come with no expectation.
I pray for you and your pain. My heart soars when ever I look at the picture I was blessed to get. Your "Unqualified" strength is amazing. Thank you for touching my life.
deanna
· 4 months ago
Bless you for sharing with us. All of us have struggles in life, but most of us try to hide or conceal them so the world thinks we're perfect. But we're not. We'll never be perfect. There was only one perfect man and his name was JESUS.
I will keep you in my prayers. Thank you for being a role model to those of us with struggles in our lives too. :-D
Robynn's Ravings
· 4 months ago
After I read your from-the-heart post, I read many of the comments. I feel ill qualified to add anything because there are so many beautiful sentiments and so much love represented here.
I pray God allows this side-effect of the steroids or disease process to diminish so you can see yourself again. But your spirit is more beautiful with each trial. That's what is being revealed and WILL be revealed for eternity. I know, though, as physical beings, we want to, or do, see ourselves one way and when the mirror or camera shows us something completely different it's like a shifted universe. When I was young I was much thinner. That thin woman is still in there when I look out but when I look in the mirror she's gone. I'm not in any way saying this is equal or on par with the desperate challenges you're facing, Sara. Just that I guess I understand on some small level. But I've had years to get here and adjust, somewhat. I can't imagine seeing yourself change so rapidly and having to process that.
You aren't just speaking to people struggling with disease and the diffiuculties it brings. You are speaking to many with terrible body images and naming the disconnect that is so dibilitating. You, Sara, truly cannot do many things you once did but not because you are limiting yourself. The disease has limited you. Many drop out of life BASED on their body and then limit themselves. You have a message here. I'm glad you were brave and strong enough to bring it.
You are certainly loved and it has NOTHING to do with your looks. I pray you can see yourself through the hearts, not the eyes, of others. And surely, with all you suffer and with all you give to others, you must be exquisite in the eyes and heart of God. I pray healing and blessings for you. Thanks for your ministry.
Samantha
· 4 months ago
It makes me think of something you posted a few times ago that everything works out in the end and if it hasn't it isn't the end yet. Things tend to get worse before they get better also. I have no clue how this is going to work out, but after seeing God work so many things out in my life I am sure this one will end working out. Sometimes he doesn't change our circumstances, but does something much better and changes us. You of course already know this, but just thought I would share.
Ed
· 4 months ago
"I’ve been getting through it because I've focused more on everyone else than on me."
That is what makes you the most caring person I know. With all the challenges you face, your first thought is for your friends and family.
You have found the best answer in focusing on your faith. You know that it is how God sees that counts. You know the degree of your faith is reflected in how you deal with your challenges. That is what pleases God. He cares nothing about how you look.
I will guess Riley doesn't care what you look like. What vain creatures we humans are. :)
Acceptance, not understanding, is as much as anyone can hope for.
Guest
· 4 months ago
You may feel unqualified in accepting your daily challenges, but you are certainly qualified in speaking FROM the heart and speaking TO the heart. You speak to mine every time you write. My heart hurts for you and for your pain, and I'll continue to pray that God brings you through this stage as quickly as He can. But my heart also hurts for each person that you have described who has seen you face-to-face. You know this deep down, but those expressions you're seeing on your loved ones faces? They are not reacting TO you as much as they're reacting to their love for you. As much as you hurt, I can only imagine how much it hurts those who love you to watch you dealing with this disease. Denise
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Guest
· 4 months ago
I do know that God has also given you the gift of writing beautifully, and the gift of making the best of a horrible illness. I never leave your blog without feeling inspired. laurie
Guest
· 4 months ago
Your post reminds me of another blog that I read nieniedialogues.blogspot.com. It's about a burn victim who is trying to get used to the new her. It's heartbreaking but her inner strength is incredible. A year ago she was in a terrible plane crash. Read from the beginning. You are one of the most beautiful human beings I have ever "met."
Julie Garmon
· 4 months ago
What honesty. Gut-level honesty. Leaves me without words.
Keep writing, Sara. You have this way of cutting through the garbage and going straight for the core.
Much love, Julie
dmarch
· 3 months ago
Sara, my heart aches for you. You are the most incredible, beautiful person I know. My thoughts and prayers go out to you each day. Lots of love, Deb
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Guest
· 3 months ago
"You are so beautiful to me...."
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gitz
· 3 months ago
ok, i seriously wish i knew who left this comment because it made me laugh... :) I'm going to have that song running through my head all night...
gitz
· 3 months ago
you're so kind, deb. miss you, and hope your first day back at school went well...
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks, julie. i was at a point where i couldn't seem to write about anything else.
gitz
· 3 months ago
someone else recently told me about that blog but i haven't been there yet. i will for sure check it out. thank you.
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks, laurie... that means a lot. i think writing to all of you keeps me sane half the time.
gitz
· 3 months ago
hey, denise. i absolutely know that my friends reactions are from their hurt for me... i think that's why i want to make it easier for them, even though it's not really possible. they hurt because they love me, and i love them so much i hate that i'm the source of their hurt. just no way around it, though.
gitz
· 3 months ago
good words, ed. and yes, riley doesn't seem to care how I look. :) funny you should say that, though, because when i first started changing so dramatically i actually wondered if he would act differently or get anxious. apparently he's fine as long as i keep feeding him carrots and spoiling him rotten.
gitz
· 3 months ago
so true, samantha. i do think it will be ok in the end... i trust that... i'm just being a little stubborn about the fact that i'm not enjoying the now. :-[ but I'm working on it. :-P
Ed
· 3 months ago
Riley eats carrots! He has a better diet than I do. :)
Anita
· 3 months ago
I am so sorry that you are in pain like this. I'm sorry that you can't just get up and do the things you want to do, sorry that you can't take a stinking breath without it hurting. I am sorry that I don't know what to say to express what I feel inside. I wish there was something I could do besides pray and wait and watch...I am praying for you and thinking of you every day.
you're right, Robynn... mine did happen so quickly, but i'm sure normal aging creates that disconnect for many people. seeing on the outside what doesn't match the inside is a challenge for anyone, at any age, in any circumstance.
gitz
· 3 months ago
you're right, deanna... i think everyone's first instinct is to try to seem ok; for me it's so other people won't worry about me. but life isn't meant to be lived alone and i appreciate being able to share with you all.
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks, theresa. i'm blessed to have old friends and all of you new friends. you're appreciated more than you know.
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks, robin. i hate that your brother had to go through what he did, but knowing you as i do i know that he felt every bit of your love and admiration for him. it just oozes out of you, friend.
gitz
· 3 months ago
right back at you, friend. i hope JON is keeping you good company in my absence :) :*
gitz
· 3 months ago
thank you. sincerely.
gitz
· 3 months ago
thank you, debra. i like the thought of Him closer than Riley... if you could see him laying on the pillow behind me with his head resting on my shoulder right now you might wonder how that could be possible. :)
gitz
· 3 months ago
Hell, Jan... i didn't even mean to be deep! i was just saying what is right now :) but you're right... whether change happens quickly with illness or slowly with age, it never gets less shocking to have our outside not match our inside. i fully trust that God sees both and loves me, it's just hard for my human brain to do the same sometimes...
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks, heidi... that means so much. miss you!
gitz
· 3 months ago
thank you.
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks as always, sweet shannon. it was a really trying weekend and i appreciate you, your prayers and your words. love you!
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks, vicky... i almost didn't post this after i wrote it simply because it felt sort of indulgent or complaining, but that whole "it is what it is" philosophy took over and I figured what the heck. i'm so glad i did now, because it reminded me how kind and comforting you all are. i appreciate it so much.
gitz
· 3 months ago
you're right, cathy... it all comes down to trust, doesn't it?
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks, kristy, i appreciate it. every time you comment i smile wonder how you're doing... when's the baby due?
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks, pol.
gitz
· 3 months ago
that was beautiful; thanks anna.
gitz
· 3 months ago
love you, too, friend. miss you a lot and hope you're doing ok.
gitz
· 3 months ago
i SO know what you mean about the makeup. before this major physical change, i had already learned to ease up on some of that stuff. when you are so sick and so tired, the effort to put on mascara can suddenly seem like the biggest effort in the world. my friends would know when i was really bad based on whether or not i was in full makeup when they came over :)
gitz
· 3 months ago
this overwhelmed me to read. thank you.
gitz
· 3 months ago
oh, kathryn... i know how much comments like that from the woman at church can eat away at a person. even though we trust, even though we know better, it's hard not to let those comments gnaw at us.
know that i know better... and that God does too.
gitz
· 3 months ago
... and I love you back, sweet friend. thanks for everything.
gitz
· 3 months ago
janet, I'm so sorry for all your husband had to go through, and for your loss. he was so incredibly lucky to have you loving him through it.
gitz
· 3 months ago
i'm so humbled by all the comments here. thanks for that.
gitz
· 3 months ago
you all are well-qualified to help, because you have helped me immensely. thank you.
gitz
· 3 months ago
you're right, marla... i absolutely know the reactions are because they hurt for me. and i hurt for them that they have to be affected by it. such a circle, isn't it?
thanks for your prayers, marla. it's appreciated!
gitz
· 3 months ago
so true, fran... i can't imagine what life would be like being homebound without the internet. communicating with you all, letting you in my world and me into yours, provides a connection that just can't be replaced.
gitz
· 3 months ago
i'm so thankful He brought us together, too, Susan. Thanks for everything.
gitz
· 3 months ago
what a lovely concept... i wish i could look you all in the eyes while i "sing" to you. the idea of that makes me smile :)
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks, kaycee... this will get better, i'm sure. it's just learning to have patience in the meantime, i think. appreciate you being here.
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks, jen. i miss you, too, and can't wait until things are more "normal" for us both. praying for Pat as always.
gitz
· 3 months ago
i remember your comments, ynaffit. disabilities and struggles are tough no matter what degree they come in. i'm glad you find something here that helps in some way.
gitz
· 3 months ago
thank you, lydia.
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks, betsy. that's so appreciated.
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks, t. knowing that actually does make it an ounce better.
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks, brandi. i feel so fortunate to have "met" your family and some of the community of crosspoint; it's amazing to me the blessings and support that have come to me this way. you are appreciated.
gitz
· 3 months ago
i appreciate and pray for you all as well... hoping your days are good ones.
gitz
· 3 months ago
thanks, bren. love to you, too.
gitz
· 3 months ago
lest ron think we are all imaginary, you can tell him bobbi can vouch for me. :) thanks so much, candy. i appreciate the prayers and the encouraging words.
gitz
· 3 months ago
those feel like the right words to me. love you, too, wente.
gitz
· 3 months ago
always praying for you, too, tita.
gitz
· 3 months ago
oh yes... he loves carrots and cheese and frozen green beans. he also loves bits of my rice krispie bars, but i'm not sure that would fall under the "healthy diet" category :-P
Kate Gal
· 3 months ago
I wish there were words to say to bring that frustration to an end for you. You are a beautiful girl with wisdom and a heart as big as all the world, and you have been a gift to me in the last year or so that I've been reading your blog. I am grateful in a way I cannot express in words. Prayers and love to you every day...
Amy
· 3 months ago
For someone I've never met in person..it amazes me how often I think of you. I am so glad I 'stumbled' (God lead) to you, to show me the blessing each day is. As always, you inspire me. Thank you.!!!!
gitz
· 3 months ago
Hi, sweet friend. I think you expressed yourself perfectly, and am grateful for the prayers and support. Truly.
gitz
· 3 months ago
Honestly, Amy, I think the same thing of all of you... how I've never met you but think of you and your lives and families so much. We've all been very blessed!
gitz
· 3 months ago
I'm so grateful to all of you, too. [and embarrassed that I still have to ship a book to you!!!! Hopefully better late than never is a phrase that applies here...] :-[
All Comments
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Thank you Gitz.
much love!!
Recent blog:=- Mr. Personality
-T
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-Betsy
Take care.
Lydia
Recent blog:=- What's Wrong With This Picture?
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Recent blog:=- Breaking Through the Clutter
Recent blog:=- Mollie Found Her Twin . . .
I know I've never met you, but I want Jesus to take your hurt away too.
I don't get this, and I don't see any answer in sight. But I do know this: my God, YOUR God, created the entire universe by speaking it into existence. He knit you together, bit by bit, in your mama's womb. NOTHING is too hard for Him. He wants your ultimate good, and He wants glory.
You're giving Him glory. Trust Him with the rest. As stinkin' hard, hard, HARD as that is right now. Oh, I can't even imagine!
I love you millions!! Praying, praying, praying for you, you beautiful girl!
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And i found i was saying, "No! No i'm not trusting because i can't imagine that this is God's best for me," & yet i know i'm called to trust him. I'm not sure i'm qualified.
My issues are not as severe as yours, but still debilitating. And once again i had someone at church tell me i don't have enough faith, etc. It is so hard! And i so admire how you handle it & meet the challenges, Sara.
Much love & God's blessings to you.
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There are only a few things I know for sure.
I know that His power is made perfect in our weakness.
I know that He is able to make you stand.
And I know, even though we have never met and probably never will, even though you have gained weight, are in pain, and are physically isolated....
I know that you are beautiful.
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Christ in you is so evident, so overwhelming, that it challenges the deepest parts of me. you show me Him, fritz.
you put skin on hebrews 10:23-24 for me as you hold unswervingly to the hope you have in God's faithfulness and as you spur me on to be more like Christ.
i love you.
Recent blog:=- when i walk through the fire
{{you are SO living out verse 4 Sara!}}
The God of All Comfort
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
Remember that you are loved and that you are not alone. The beauty in your eyes, your spirit and your presence cannot be dulled, changed or lost.
Just keep moving forward.
You are in my thoughts always
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Thanks for posting. Our prayers are with you!
I'm in awe of your ability to lay yourself wide open to us. What a cruel irony for someone with body image struggles, to face unwelcome weight gain, its like adding insult to injury...
You are teaching... with a far reach. Your message rings true just as clear as ever. Your words here, are proof of what cannot be touched by illness. Your spirit and faith still shine through, and that is where your beauty lies.
Loving you here today!
I am weeping for you as I read this, not because I feel sorry for you, but because my heart physically aches. As I read this, not only did the tears start to pour, but the chills came up. Unqualified is a great way to describe how you feel, what you're going through, and how you'll make it out. But you WILL make it out. You are there. Our God? He's qualified to take us through anything. He's the Creator, the Beginning and the End, the All. Every little bit.
You are choosing joy, choosing hope, choosing life, no matter how dark things have gotten. Right now, I am thinking they have gone from gray to black, meaning that you need to shove that rock aside and search for the sun. If you'd let me visit, I'd come. People who love you are reacting to your physical, and you're responding to it, much the way someone who has been in a disfiguring accident with limb loss, or a fire with buring would....you are still there. I repeat myself b/c I think you need to see it, hear it, own it.
I know you can't find "you" in the mirror, but I am going to trust that you'll return. I have to trust it, because if I didn't, we wouldn't be walking together in faith on this. Our God is amazing, steady, unchanging, a mountain beneath our feet. Hold on to His steadfast promise that He'll never leave you nor forsake you. I won't either. You are taking the steps of acceptance, beginning by owning that you know what you're doing when you change to be who people think you should be...your heart is so big you want to remove their pain. I love that about you. Really though? We just want you okay. People cry b/c they can't take your burden. Sometimes (often) it is okay to cry with them.
I felt the need to continually pray for you Saturday through the night (every 20 minutes or so) and I heeded the call . I hope it helped...maybe you were working on this post, where you are beautiful and so vunerable. This one's a life-changer. I can only imagine the peeps that you'll touch like you did me. You are my champion, friend.
Love,
Shan
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Fortunately, the person I see in the mirror is also not the person God sees! Because when I look in the mirror, I see the person who sometimes says hurtful things to her loved ones, isn't always as generous as she should be, and hardly ever lives up to what God probably expected of her when he put her on this earth. It's only my faith in the idea that God sees the "real" me that gets me through the day. He sees the one who is lovable no matter what. The real Jan who is just having a bad moment here and there, but who is really a good person inside. When I keep that in mind, I realize that it doesn't matter what my body looks like. It's all about what God sees in the end.
Recent blog:=- Fire!
Recent blog:=- Thought for today ... well everyday!
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I love you. I pray this part of journey comes to an end soon and that you will have relief ... Oh I wish I could do more. Love to you Sweet One.
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I know my heart would still pray for you to be whole. If you wanted to cry I would with you. Sometimes new friends are almost as special as the old ones. New ones come with no expectation.
I pray for you and your pain. My heart soars when ever I look at the picture I was blessed to get. Your "Unqualified" strength is amazing. Thank you for touching my life.
I will keep you in my prayers. Thank you for being a role model to those of us with struggles in our lives too. :-D
I pray God allows this side-effect of the steroids or disease process to diminish so you can see yourself again. But your spirit is more beautiful with each trial. That's what is being revealed and WILL be revealed for eternity. I know, though, as physical beings, we want to, or do, see ourselves one way and when the mirror or camera shows us something completely different it's like a shifted universe. When I was young I was much thinner. That thin woman is still in there when I look out but when I look in the mirror she's gone. I'm not in any way saying this is equal or on par with the desperate challenges you're facing, Sara. Just that I guess I understand on some small level. But I've had years to get here and adjust, somewhat. I can't imagine seeing yourself change so rapidly and having to process that.
You aren't just speaking to people struggling with disease and the diffiuculties it brings. You are speaking to many with terrible body images and naming the disconnect that is so dibilitating. You, Sara, truly cannot do many things you once did but not because you are limiting yourself. The disease has limited you. Many drop out of life BASED on their body and then limit themselves. You have a message here. I'm glad you were brave and strong enough to bring it.
You are certainly loved and it has NOTHING to do with your looks. I pray you can see yourself through the hearts, not the eyes, of others. And surely, with all you suffer and with all you give to others, you must be exquisite in the eyes and heart of God. I pray healing and blessings for you. Thanks for your ministry.
That is what makes you the most caring person I know. With all the challenges you face, your first thought is for your friends and family.
You have found the best answer in focusing on your faith. You know that it is how God sees that counts. You know the degree of your faith is reflected in how you deal with your challenges. That is what pleases God. He cares nothing about how you look.
I will guess Riley doesn't care what you look like. What vain creatures we humans are. :)
Acceptance, not understanding, is as much as anyone can hope for.
My heart hurts for you and for your pain, and I'll continue to pray that God brings you through this stage as quickly as He can. But my heart also hurts for each person that you have described who has seen you face-to-face. You know this deep down, but those expressions you're seeing on your loved ones faces? They are not reacting TO you as much as they're reacting to their love for you. As much as you hurt, I can only imagine how much it hurts those who love you to watch you dealing with this disease.
Denise
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Keep writing, Sara. You have this way of cutting through the garbage and going straight for the core.
Much love,
Julie
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know that i know better... and that God does too.
thanks for your prayers, marla. it's appreciated!
Prayers and love to you every day...