Hello and welcome everyone. Today I have a special person for you to meet, my dear friend and HUG volunteer, Monica. We had a chat about her CHD journey and how God played a huge role in her life...so let's hear what she has to say..
WOG: Hi, Monica, thanks for being here with me. How are you today?
M.M: Hi, Lisa, its my pleasure to join you; thanks for inviting me. I am currently under the weather due to a nasty head cold and cough.
WOG: Can you please tell me a little about how God has helped you through this CHD journey
M.M: Living with a life-long illness takes courage, acceptance, a positive mindset, support from family and friends, a close relationship with God, insurmountable amount of faith, and an endless supply of prayers.
God has helped me through my CHD journey in numerous ways; however, hearing Him whispering the following verse to me sums it up the best:
“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)
This verse helps me realize that I don’t have to rely on my own strength to get through difficult situations that living with a CHD brings. If I trust in God and lean on His strength, He will give me the strength to endure and carry on. I have to constantly remind myself that God wouldn’t give me anything I can’t handle.
WOG: When you find yourself feeling lost...how do you ask God for guidance?
M.M: When I ask God for guidance, I approach Him with thanksgiving by asking Him for His presence, strength and whatever else I may need. I also recite one of numerous prayers “A Prayer for God’s Guidance.” Last, but not least, when I find myself feeling lost, I quietly recite the following verse:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.
WOG: Do you feel that Jax is sent to you by God and if so, how has he helped you?
M.M: Without a doubt in my mind, I KNOW Jax has been sent to me by God; everything lined up perfectly despite it coming from a tragedy (my cat, Levi, passed away unexpectedly the ending of December 2015). My essay in Anna’s book is about how Jax came into my life and how much he has helped me. In a nutshell, Jax has greatly improved my psychosocial health such as state of mental, emotional, and social wellbeing.
WOG: Last question: If you could tell another CHD patient anything about God, what would you tell them?
M.M: First off, I would tell them that every single CHD journey is unique and full of its own bumps in the road. The journey is a marathon; not a sprint. Some journeys are full of hurdles and some have less.
God has been so loving and faithful to me. I know He won’t abandon me; He never has and never will. Even on my worst days, the days where I am angry at Him, He is still there. He is just waiting, patiently, for me. We don’t know what is in store for us but God has all the cards; He has a plan. All we can do is pray and live life to the fullest.
WOG: Thank you for your time and this wonderful chat, Monica.
well this is it..I hope all of you had a good read and is inspired by my friend and if you have not yet, maybe today is the day you open your heart to God and to yourself, so that you will be refreshed and stronger than yesterday.
hugs and love: Wonder of Grace Blog