Hi KC.
My name is Lynn. I am a mom to a 13 yr old angel diagnoised with CF. We found out his diagnosis on his 13th bday. ANYTHING that brings you closer to God is a good thing. Here are a few things I have come to realize this summer:
Jn 16:33 - I've told you these things so that IN ME you may have peace. I promise in this world you will have trouble, BUT take heart! I have overcome the world.
You HAVE to anchor your hope to the cross. As a christian, we were not made for this world. When life hurts most we look to the cross. God can use the worst for eternal good. If the cross was a "snapshot" and the only part of God's plan we ever saw, we would surely question him and think he was not powerful or in control. But we know that that one act, the time in Jesus' life that was the most painful is now the shining tile in God's mosiac. God always works on a canvas larger than we can see. In this world when we hurt the most is generally when we are given a megaphone to broadcast our life message. I know that through the trauma of learning my son was sick, I had to come to a place of saying <b>God is STILL an awesome God</b>. Jesse (my son) is a gift God gave to us for whatever amount of time he sees fit. Jesse will never be taken from this earth until God's purpose for his life is fullfilled. Doctors aren't in control, and CF is surely not in control. God is. God is also the only one who understands the total and complete agony I am going through. He gave his own son to die for me. He knew there was a bigger picture. It also is a comfort for me knowing that Jesse is a christian. He told me he was not afraid to die. I will be his mom for eternity. This life here is just practice...People will be looking at you and how you live, what your life message is in the good times and bad - it is your free will to choose what you broadcast.
I HIGHLY reccommed a DVD by Louie Gigglio called Hope When Life Hurts Most. I was made for you.
Lynn