Happy Wednesday friends! 15 days ago I was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy (BP). Now if you have never experienced or heard of it before here is a brief description of BP: “Sudden weakness in the muscles on one half of the face.Bell’s palsy may be a reaction to a viral infection. It rarely occurs more than once.Bell’s palsy is characterized by muscle weakness that causes one half of the face to droop.Bell’s palsy usually resolves on its own within six months.”

I will share with you that I believe mine started with an ear infection, although it doesn’t really matter as it is something that just sort of “happens.” My symptoms have been: left side of face “frozen”, slight droop, cannot smile, left eye tears up on own, pain from forehead down through jaw line and exhaustion. All of which causes you to feel “not normal” and exhausted, probably in part of the body fighting infection and the other part being you think about your “condition” a lot. So the mind is pretty tired as well.

Why think about it? Let’s look at that last line of the brief description “BP usually resolves on its own within six months.” Usually? On its own? So I have to let this run its course and trust it will get better? I don’t know about you, but I am not a “good patient.” I have some control issues and this is an area that I have no control over – uggh! But, then again, I do. I can ask others to pray for me and I can pray as well.

I can choose to have an “even though…I will” kind of faith. I understand that BP is serious and I need to rest, take care of myself, etc. But I also know that my case could be much worse or I could have many other things “wrong” with my health. So, although it has brought me down a bit and I am a little more tired, I haven’t stopped living. I am still doing things.

Why?

Because of that “even though…I will” faith that I have chosen to live. When you look throughout the bible there are people, Paul, Silas, Shadrach, Job to name a few, have encountered intense trouble, yet went bigger with their faith. Look at the prophet Habakkuk 3:17-18 GNT (haa·buh·kuhk) when he cried out:

“Even though the fig trees have no fruit and no grapes grow on the vines, even though the olive crop fails and fields produce no grain, even though the sheep all die and the cattle stalls are empty, I will still be joyful and glad, because the Lord God is my savior.”

This is the kind of faith I desire to have everyday, I don’t always, but I am a work in progress. Some days I am going to fall short of this faith and other days I will be “on” and moving forward. Having a physical condition that for a moment in time has slowed me down, I have chosen to be “joyful and glad” for many reasons. I also recognize that by this time of slowing down a bit, I needed it. My body knew this and so did my God. The past 15 days have allowed to me rest more, hydrate better, choose foods a little more carefully and I have had more time to think, pray and read.

So, 15 days later I am improving. Nothing huge, but it is noticeable and I am thankful for this. Will it be healed in 3 weeks, 6 weeks or 6 months? I don’t know, but I will take each day of improvement and be joyful in it.

Question for you – what kind of faith do you have? Do you have an “even though…I will” kind of faith? Why or why not? You can email me at pastordenniswagner@gmail.com with questions or thoughts relating to this or any other blog post here.

Thanks for stopping by the fire,

Pastor Dennis