Living with Cystic Fibrosis, I have been asked numerous times, "How do you maintain a positive perspective when living with this illness?" Do I find living with this illness hard? Yes, many times I find myself stumbling with everything that is involved. Sometimes I have a day full of frustrating moments or moments of emotional and physical pain. Cystic Fibrosis is not easy however, it is my normal. I have never experienced a life that is other than Cystic Fibrosis. This is my normal.
In "The Last Lecture", Randy Pausch stated, "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." I have heard this in philosophy class and I have heard others say this. I have a different viewpoint. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. In this verse, the temptation is referring to both suffering and sin. This verse does not mean that there will not be any sufferings in our life, but God is there to support us every step of the way. This also does not mean that God will take away the pain right away. The things that God puts in our life allows us to trust God and draw closer to him. I know that this is hard for some people to understand, but this is where I get my positive perspective from. I get my strength from Christ. Bethany Hamilton has said, "I wouldn't change what happened to me because then I wouldn't have this chance, in front of all of you, to embrace more people than I ever could have with two arms." Like Bethany Hamilton, I wouldn't change to not have Cystic Fibrosis because then I wouldn't be able to have the platform I have today to speak to so many people. I also know that I wouldn't be the person who I am today if I didn't have Cystic Fibrosis.
I have met people who have thought of Cystic Fibrosis as a life sentence. I have never looked at the life expectancy and thought, "Okay, so according to science, I'm going to die in a few years, so I better get prepared." I have looked at the life expectancy and thought, "That is an age that scientists have created, but what is the age that God has created?" The answer to that is a big question mark. We are never granted a tomorrow. You never know what could happen today, tomorrow, the next, and so on.
In "The Last Lecture", Randy Pausch stated, "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." I have heard this in philosophy class and I have heard others say this. I have a different viewpoint. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. In this verse, the temptation is referring to both suffering and sin. This verse does not mean that there will not be any sufferings in our life, but God is there to support us every step of the way. This also does not mean that God will take away the pain right away. The things that God puts in our life allows us to trust God and draw closer to him. I know that this is hard for some people to understand, but this is where I get my positive perspective from. I get my strength from Christ. Bethany Hamilton has said, "I wouldn't change what happened to me because then I wouldn't have this chance, in front of all of you, to embrace more people than I ever could have with two arms." Like Bethany Hamilton, I wouldn't change to not have Cystic Fibrosis because then I wouldn't be able to have the platform I have today to speak to so many people. I also know that I wouldn't be the person who I am today if I didn't have Cystic Fibrosis.
That's all for now,
Ashley
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