I believe that God is really testing us and our faith when He gives us a challenge that we know we cannot bare on our own.
I was diagnosed with Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJD) in April of 2011. This disorder has to do with the joint in your jaw. The side affects are popping, cracking, shooting pain, ear ringing, discomfort and pain in the jaw. It can also affect the muscles surrounding your jaw, eyes, cheeks, neck, shoulders, and the upper back.
Being an instrumentalist, this is not exactly ideal. Now a music performance major, this disorder is going to affect the rest of my life. When I was first diagnosed, I could not play my horn for one second without being in a lot of pain.
After months of seeing doctors, getting physical therapy, and praying a lot, I can at least function. I am able to have conversations with my friends, play my horn at least an hour a day, and eat foods that can potentially cause pain to my jaw, which I could not do before praying to God.
When I received Christ as My Savior, I asked God to give me patience. Is this a coincidence that I got TMJD a few weeks after praying hard for this? You be the judge..
This can be relateable to anything else. Whether you are a teacher who has ADD, (I've had a few of those..) a businessmen who has trouble communicating because of a disability, or just simply depressed about life, God gives us these sufferings so we can grow as a person, and learn how to cope with them. He also gives us these sufferings so we can depend on Him more, and His glory will shine once we ask Him for help.
I am writing this today because God has restricted my playing again. Although playing horn is my life, ultimately, God should be my life. And He is showing me that right now.
So, here is what I will conclude: think about the sufferings in your life, and how it affects your overall daily life. How do you usually cope with suffering? Yes, it's okay to cry a little. But, there is hope! God says in the Book of Matthew, Chapter 21 verse 22: If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
Isn't that incredible?! I know God has answered my prayers by giving me wonderful doctors and physical therapists to relieve my pain. Don't you want someone out there to heal your suffering? As long as you pray and believe, God will hear you and answer you.
