Sweet Abby Kate before I left for three weeks at Christmas.
This morning I was reading Jesus Calling and it was about allowing The Lord to direct and plan our path. It talked about how although we see large mountains or cliffs in front of us on the path, but we still must allow the Lord to guide us. He may change our path abruptly right before the mountain that we think we are facing. This is all apart of God's perfect plan for our lives, if we allow Him to guide us He may change the path away from the mountain or cliff. If He does allow us to go up the mountain, He will provide the strength and provisions to get us through. God has a perfect plan for each and every person's life, but we just have to trust in Him and allow Him to guide our steps.
"With You I can attack a barrier, and with my God I can leap over a wall. God-His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him." Psalm 18:29-30
I never expected to be diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, but it didn't catch God off guard. I know the Lord has a perfect plan and He wants to use this as a part of His plan and use it for His glory. I pray that the Lord will use me and my story to glorify Him so that others can see the love He shows us through the plan He has for us. I don't know why the Lord has placed this disease in my life and I may never know besides that He wants to use it.
Before being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do as my career. I was majoring in Therapeutic Recreation with plans to go on and earn a master's degree in Physical Therapy. I wanted to use my degree in Physical Therapy to work with children with Special Needs in orphanages in other countries. After being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease I switched my focus and realized that therapy was not necessarily the area that the Lord wanted to use me in. I am now majoring in Elementary and Special Education with plans to earn a certification in Child Life after graduation. From the Child Life Council's website, a Child Life Specialist is:
Child life specialists are trained professionals with expertise in helping children and their families overcome life’s most challenging events.Armed with a strong background in child development and family systems, child life specialists promote effective coping through play, preparation, education, and self-expression activities. They provide emotional support for families, and encourage optimum development of children facing a broad range of challenging experiences, particularly those related to healthcare and hospitalization. Because they understand that a child’s wellbeing depends on the support of the family, child life specialists provide information, support and guidance to parents, siblings, and other family members. They also play a vital role in educating caregivers, administrators, and the general public about the needs of children under stress. (Source: Child Life Council)Over Christmas Break I met with a Child Life Specialist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital in Ohio and I fell even more in love with the field of Child Life. My prayer is that through working as a Child Life specialist, the Lord will allow me to use my story of having Crohn's to minister to other families.
Working with children is a passion that I have and I am so blessed to currently watch three of them on a weekly basis. They have truly been a blessing to me and I know the Lord placed them in my life for a reason. Even on the hardest or toughest days, either from school or because of feeling bad, those kiddos can make it one of the best days. The hugs and simplest words of love are the greatest. Some of the sweetest moments are when they recite bible verses to me during our drives in the car, their singing in the car, the questions they ask about the Bible and God, or the giant bear hugs I get when I pick them up from school. These can make my day change from challenging to wonderful in just a few minutes. They may not realize how much of a true blessing they are to me in my life, but one day I pray they realize how the Lord has used them.
Precious Abby Kate
Sweet and spunky Tyler
He tells me all the time he knows how to drive. :)
Smart and caring Jackson
Fun at The Explorium
This girl knows that Chick -fil-a is the best even at 2 1/2 years old!
The three kiddos before I left for Christmas for three weeks.
I have been so blessed to work with kids for many years and have truly enjoyed it. Child Life was not "my" original path in college, but The Lord knew all along where He was leading me and I can't wait to see where He continues to lead me. Crohn's Disease has meant adapting my lifestyle to live with such a disease and as a Child Life Specialist my dream is to help children adapt, adjust and persevere through whatever they may be facing. I am looking forward to seeing the Lord's plan for my life continue to unfold. We may plan our steps, but He directs the steps that we take and His will for our lives is far greater than we can ever imagine because of His unconditional love for His children.
