To whom it may concern:

Congratulations! You have been selected to be the host for (insert name of chronic
condition here). You will begin to experience many or all of these symptoms — and may even deal with several of them at the same time.

--pain. We are equal opportunity destroyers, therefore we will choose many places 
for you to experience pain. We have even devised many different types of pain --
aching, stabbing, throbbing, tingling, burning, gripping, or cramping. We are continually
improving our repertoire of pain categories, so updates are to be expected.

--dizziness (this can be accompanied by nausea, mental confusion, ringing in the ears, vomiting, loss of coordination, and sensations of spinning, rocking, or shaking). We try to simulate the experience of riding a never-ending roller coaster to satisfy your adventurous spirit. No safety harnesses required, and you have no choice of when the coaster ride starts, ends, or how fast it goes.

--extreme fatigue (Now remember, this is not just being "tired"). We will suddenly "pull your plug", so to speak, and you will have NO energy at all. Even dressing or taking a shower will be too daunting of a task for you to complete. And because we like surprises, we will NOT give you any advance warning, so you could be in the middle of the grocery store, at work, playing with your kids, or trying to clean the house.

--forgetting, losing, dropping things. (These are just a few of the perks of your condition. You will learn to expect them, but never to enjoy them).

In addition to the symptoms above, we also want to eliminate some things from your crowded lifestyle. Here are a few of the things which will be taken away from you now that you are chosen to have a chronic condition:

--the ability to stand or walk for longer than 15 minutes without experiencing pain in your feet, ankles, knees, or legs

--the ability to sit for longer than 10 minutes without experience cramping in your legs and butt, or shooting pains in your back

--the ability to complete any task which requires more than 10 minutes of concentration, multi-step activities and long-term projects will take 2-3 times longer

--the ability to play and run with your children like you did before

--the ability to accumulate sick days at work to earn the perfect attendance
bonus

As indicated previously, this condition is in constant flux and more symptoms will be added as we deem necessary. There is no warranty, guarantee, technical support, or customer service available.

Sincerely,
Your chronic condition ​

15 degrees outside. 10 MPH winds. Real feel of 4 degrees. Cloudy, gray skies. An inch of snow and slush on the roads. Perfect conditions for a walk outdoors, right?  

I didn’t want to add layers and go outside to walk. I really wanted to stay inside. But I knew I should get some exercise and I was tired of using the treadmill. So I reluctantly put on the bulky winter gear and dragged myself outdoors. “Just for ten minutes,” I told myself.  “Around the block and then back to my cozy house to curl up with a book.”

I started walking and used the words to the songs playing on my headphones to distract myself from the cold, the wind, the wet road, and the lack of sunshine. The worship music improved my mood, and I started noticing what was around me. As I stopped focusing on myself, I saw reminders of God, his creation, his providence, and the gospel.

I noticed that the grass was hidden and the trees were bare, but remembered the snow is a source of water that helps bring new life in the spring. In the same way, we may not be able to perceive how God is working, but his purposes will succeed.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 
Isaiah 55:10-11

The fresh, white snowflakes landing on the ground were a visible reminder that Yahweh has cleansed us from sin and unrighteousness. 

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Psalm 51:7

Then I noticed the dirty tire tracks and slush that marred the beauty of the fallen snow. These were a stark reminder that we still experience the effects of sin. We live in the “already, not yet” -- through Christ’s work on the cross, we have been freed from the power of sin. However, we still struggle and suffer with brokenness that is our present reality.

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
Romans 8:19-22

I didn’t notice the wind much until I turned to walk back home. The force of the wind pushed me back and whipped around me loudly. I recalled the account in Acts 2 when they heard a sound like a mighty wind and saw what appeared to be tongues of fire. These sights and sounds were signs of the Holy Spirit indwelling them. This recollection prompted me to thank God for the role of the Holy Spirit in our salvation.

 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:11

As I continued walking, I began to look forward to the comforts that awaited me when I returned home. The thoughts renewed my longing for the “not yet” -- the time when darkness, sin, death, and suffering will end. The fleeting troubles that we experience now will be wiped away and we will flourish eternally in the new heavens and the new earth. 

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self[d] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

These seemingly undesirable conditions were like caffeine for my soul. Ten minutes around the block ended up being a half hour of prayer, meditation, and praise. It was still cold, windy, and dismal outside -- that hadn’t changed.  My perspective had changed. God in his sovereignty had provided what I needed even more than fresh air and exercise - tangible reminders of who He is and what He has done.