“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”  Psalm 23:4

I can no longer say this Psalm without singing it.  My boys learned this verse at AWANA and we sang it to help them remember it.  Right now this verse gets me through this season of my life.  You see this verse doesn’t promise us sunshine and rainbows all the days of our lives.  But it offers us an even greater promise!  No matter where we are, even in the midst of some trials, God is there with us.

I know our battle with Duchenne’s is no more difficult than that of any other diagnosis.  And I know that no matter the diagnosis, where your faith is placed can affect your reactions.  For us, we know that God is in control and His plans for Cade are beyond what we could ever dream for Cade.  We know that God did not do this to us or Cade.  While we may not understand this time of trial, we know that God is there with us and God is good.

At times, however, Cade’s diagnosis can be all consuming.  I worry about modifications that need to be done now, whether to our home or on something as simple as chores.  How far do we go already with modifications?

I worry about remaining positive for Cade so he does not become afraid of his diagnosis.  I worry about finding hobbies for Cade to enjoy as things become more difficult for him.  I spend A LOT of time researching and making sure that we are doing everything we can for Cade.

But most of all I worry that I am handling this with grace.  Do I bring glory to God in my choices and our decisions with Cade?  Do I honor God with knowing He is in control even though I wish Cade didn’t have to go through this.  I know I will still have struggles with tears and tough days, but am I displaying God’s grace through my attitude?

So I wear this bracelet as a reminder.  A reminder that everyday our battle is now against muscular dystrophy.  A reminder everyday that I can be Cade’s muscles when he needs me to be.  A reminder that all things are possible when we place our faith securely in our loving God.  A reminder that God has his loving arms wrapped around us.

Romans 8:38-39 says “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What a great reminder that our struggles on earth are only temporary.  God’s love for us is everlasting!

Blessings. Lynnette