February is Retinitis Pigmentosa Awareness Month.
One of the strangest realities of life is that suffering can be the birthplace of purpose. It has taken me quite some time to come to terms with this for myself becauae when I am going through, sometimes I can lose sight of how good can come from whatever it is causing my current discomfort. RP affects everyone differently who lives with it; there are 60 variants of this condition and the variant I am living with is called cone-rod dystrophy. This rare variant of RP affects the cones in the ey first and works itself way to the rods. The cones in our eyes control how light hits the back of the eye and how our brain interprets the light we receive. It affects central vision primarily and it is the cause of the painful brightness I experience during the day.
I am learning to see my circumstances differently because I realize each day I continue to see is a gift God has granted me filled with His grace and mercy. Wrestling with this codntioj involves wrestling with the emotions that come with tension and challenges, but surrendering my condition and my day to God keeps me cognizant of my dependence on Him. God has not shared with me “why” and recently I have come to the conclusion “why” is really not what I need answered. I am more intrigued by “what”— what’s next for me? What am I going to take away from this season of my life? What does the future hold for me? I want the answers to these questions, therefore, I cannot give up.
The fight we find that has been in us the whole time is the passion we need to find our purpose. The purpose of what we go through strengthens us. One of my favorite things about God is how resourceful He is. He does not waste our experiences or our pain. The suffering we endure in life leads to goodness. God does not waste anything. He squeezes all the pain, passion, and purpose out of us until it becomes good. I have learned that the reason I exist is to encourage others to hope. Hope against hopelessness. Hope against what the doctor may say. Hope against the stress and anxiety that comes with a job, family, or any aspect of life. Whatever we do, we must always hope. We must hope for better. We must hope in the goodness of God. As I wait for my cure, I will hope. That is my purpose.
Until next time, continue to stay guided by grace,
Tra
Guided by Grace 