Gardening, Faith, and Resilience: Hope Amid Chronic Health Struggles

It’s been a while. Things went a bit haywire for my husband and me health-wise, and I have an ongoing issue with my digestive system that has no clear answers right now. On the flip side, we have spent a lot of time with immediate and extended family this summer.

 Although we are going on our fourth heat wave here in PA with temperatures feeling like 103-105 degrees, one of my joys is getting my hands in the garden among my flower beds. The flowers show me the beauty of God’s creation, their resilience as they push through the snow and crusted ground in the early spring, and their perseverance as they bloom with vibrant color despite drought and excessive heat.

No, I don’t usually go out in the heat of the day but take some time after dinner to revel in these beauties. I usually do some weeding as I walk around and decide if I need to rearrange plants in the fall. This time outside is also a time to pray and think without distractions, to allow peace to enter my soul, and to give birth to hope when I’m feeling discouraged. This hope is not in my garden, or myself, or doctors, or in things, but hope in Jesus, often gained in suffering

“We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint.” Romans 5:2-5 (ESV)

Often hope in Christ is the only thing we have in times of uncertainty, distress, trials, pain, or grief. And that is the BEST hope.

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. Lamentations 3:21-25 (ESV)

Many times, in my garden, and in life, things don’t go as planned. We have a lot of shade in our backyard and one of my favorite plants is the Hosta. They are shade-loving, easy to maintain, hardy in droughts, and come in many shades of green and white. However, the deer love them as much as I do, and we have woods across the street from our backyard. Especially in this dry weather, they just mow them down as a food source. When they bloom, their leaves and flowers only last a few days. So, no more Hostas in our garden.

We often make plans and God just laughs in our faces.

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)

We can research, consult with others, use our intelligence and experience, and take advice from experts in our plans, but only God truly knows what’s ahead for us and the BEST path to take. In my journey through Chronic Lyme and endometriosis, many times I didn’t know what to do when I hit a dead end or experienced pain or continued symptoms in spite of extensive treatment. Yet, every time I ask God to lead me down the right path, He always answers. Having that assurance gives me hope.

We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12 (NIV)

Learning to turn to God first and to wait on His answer takes time. Once you experience His wisdom, you will realize He gives wisdom way beyond any human insight and knowledge, which builds trust in His perfect plan.

My plan for this blog is to write posts weekly, or on a regular basis. I so enjoy encouraging others who are living with chronic illness. Although my writing has been on the back burner, I daily answer questions in Lyme Facebook groups and make referrals to Lyme Literate practitioners in PA as the Referral Coordinator for PA Lyme Resource Network. If you need a Lyme Literate practitioner in PA, NJ, or DE, click here to get at least three referrals.

What brings you hope? I would love to see pictures of your gardens or whatever helps to keep hope alive in your life. Please feel free to post them in the comments.