Our Journey
“For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy law, and this is our solemn vow.”
Through one of my trips into the Central Asian mountains, I met a man unlike any I had encountered before. His name was David, and having met him, I would not have guessed I would end up becoming his best friend, and then his wife. He didn’t wear wranglers and his gear consisted of skis, a climbing rack, and ice picks with not a saddle to be seen.
Tall and handsome, he had grit beautifully offset by gentle humility. But the thing that drew me to him was his relentless desire for Jesus to transform his heart, mind, and life. Well, that was the biggest thing, then there was his servant heart, his unique sense of humour, those brown eyes and the list carries on!
Having experienced God’s power at work in mind boggling ways, we found ourselves envisioning what life in ministry together could look like. Long before we were married, our hearts were turned towards long term overseas church planting in the unreached wildernesses of the world.
Nothing we imagined could have prepared us for what was to come as we covenanted together “for better or worse, in sickness and health.” As it turned out, sickness began on our honeymoon as we plunged into the world of the unwell and struggled to move forward amidst shifting uncertainty.
It took over two tumultuous rocky years to discover what was ravaging my body was a disease called Lyme. And then the fight began in earnest. It is a strange feeling to be diagnosed with an illegal disease and we found no help whatsoever within the medical system.
Not recognized in Canada, chronic Lyme disease wreaks havoc, and goes undiagnosed for thousands of Canadians or is misdiagnosed as something else.
God led us through the roiling waters of the system to specialists who successfully treat Lyme with compassion and commitment and resources to support and initiate healing. While God was at work in my body, He was also very much at work in our lives and marriage.
The Great Redeemer has taken a life, broken and dismantled, and has been putting the pieces back together in the right order. In a marriage that was rife with insecurity and control, God planted an oasis in the desert of difficulty. In a body riddled and crippled with disease, God has faithfully implemented healing in His perfect time.
There are countless treasures to be revealed in the muck and grime of a lifetime when Jesus leads the uncovering team. When our human eyes see only pain, suffering, and buried dreams, God sees a trove of eternal treasures to be uncovered and claimed.
Gifts of peace unrelated to circumstance, joy untouched by calamity, and uncommon wisdom and grace meted out through trial. Strength of character and soul not subject to the roller coasters of emotional turmoil.
Through the years, we have learned much about health and the absence of it as we studied how to overcome Lyme Disease and rebuild from the ground up. We have traveled the ups of improvement, and learned to be steadfast in the shattered hope of regression.
We have invested in the gift of our marriage and have seen God bring a relationship that caused significant pain to something beautiful, rich and rare.
We are learning that hope must be anchored first in Jesus, or life will snatch it, like a rag in the wind and rip it to tatters. Only in Christ is unshakeable hope to be found, and from there, He brings hope into the day to day.
On a beautiful Easter Sunday morning, Jesus miraculously healed me in a story only He could dream of. Read it here: Easter’s Miracle
Having seen God restore us so powerfully, we believe there is nothing Jesus can’t redeem and heal, and His power is available for those who seek after Him and His heart.
I hope you’ll find treasure in the words and resources of this website for your own journey. I am blessed to walk on together!
