Illness and Who we Are

It's difficult to be ill.  And, to be honest, sometimes it seems unfair and just plain sucks.  But illness is a part of this human experience.  Have you ever wondered why that is?  What good does it do for our human bodies to break down and cause us distress?  Why is it that some folks seem to have it all together - they're strong and healthy - while others never seem to rise from the throes of illness?  Does God like some people more than others?  It sure seems that way when you're sick, or if you have a loved one struggling or suffering.

While I can't speak for God as to why people get sick, I can say that illness does not define who we are - even if we have a terminal physical illness or a severe mental illness.  I have worked with lots of people who struggle both physically and mentally, and I always remind them that humans are more than who we are at any given moment.  God doesn't define us by where we are in our lives; God looks at the bigger picture.  God sees the total picture of who we are individually and how we fit into the family of humanity.  We are more than our sufferings.

So that also means that the good times, the successes in our lives, and the times we are healthy - they also don't define who we are.  Because, these too are temporary.  Sure the good times feel better and make us happy.  But we are also more than the warm fuzzy times in our lives. 

Think about your life.  What do you like/dislike?  What about your morning routine?  Do you prefer coffee, tea, water, soda, or something else?  What colors do you like/dislike?  What type of music do you like/dislike?  Are you a church goer or sleeper-in?  Are you married or single?  Do you like/dislike Chinese food?  Have you been to college?  Do you like/dislike to read?  What are your hopes and dreams?  Have you traveled to many places?  What's your favorite childhood memory?  Who has been your greatest influence?  Upon whom have you been an influence?  And on and on and on...  There are too many questions to ask.  That's because we are a wonderful whole picture.  If we could stand back and see our pictures, we would see glorious individual colors that work together to make our picture whole.  We would not see one bland color.  God doesn't stir the colors of our lives together to make gray or tan.  God pieces the colors together - including the colorful pieces of illness.  Granted, these pieces might be gray, tan, or even black, but they are only pieces of our lives' pictures.

I know it's often difficult to see outside of illness.  But please remember - we are more than who we are at any given moment in time.  We are timeless creations who God fashioned.  We are important and we matter - simply because we are.