Prosper and Be in Health
Part of learning to care for a person with a chronic or terminal illness is realizing our true prosperity is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Today’s passage speaks about our mental health and general well-being.
My Story
My wife and I saw the same dermatologist. This is the same dermatologist that initially diagnosed Miss Benita’s Melanoma cancer.
Following my wife’s diagnosis, I scheduled an appointment with the same doctor to get myself checked from head to toe. I needed to stay in good health to care for my sweetie.
The doctor looked at every blemish, mole, and age spot on my body. She even removed a few skin tags. We scheduled a follow-up appointment in six months.
At the follow-up appointment, I mentioned I had seen my dentist who referred me to an oral surgeon. The oral surgeon had biopsy a spot in my mouth. The spot wasn’t cancerous. It was oral lichen planus. He told me to speak to you, my dermatologist, for follow-up treatment.
Oral lichen planus1(OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the mucus membrane of the oral cavity. It is a T-cell mediated autoimmune disease in which the cytotoxic CD8+ T cells trigger apoptosis of the basal cells of the oral epithelium. She told me she knew I was under excessive stress with Miss Benita’s cancer treatment. I shared the added stress I was under from caring for my 89 years old father. I also didn’t help that my long-term day job had just completed a major reduction in force and reorganization. I was still employed and experiencing the changes of doing more with less.
Just days before Miss Benita went into hospice care I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Disease2. The gastro endocrinologist said while there is no known cause, he was assuming since I had the oral lichen planus and that I was under excessive stress with Miss Benita’s cancer treatment that stress was a major contributing factor.
My point is the stress of caregiving may impact you physically. I do not give medical advice. This blog is not intended as medical advice. If you are having health issues see your physician for medical advice.
For you to provide the best care for your loved one you need to also care for yourself. I saw my physicians. They helped me to be able to keep on keeping on and continue to be a caregiver for my spouse.
Bible Verse
3 John 1:2 (KJV), “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
What the Verse Means
John, the author of the Bible passage, is addressing Gaius. Prosperity here is mental health and general well-being. John wants Gaius to prosper and have good health equal to his spiritual health.
Pray Using Scripture
- Heavenly Father I pray that I may prosper, that is to be healthy fiscally. Why? Not to be rich but to care for my family and pay my medical bills.
- Lord Jesus, I pray that I would be in physically good health and that health would mirror our spiritual health.
- I pray for rest and peace of mind.
Responding to God’s Hope
- Do you have any medical concerns about yourself? If so, seek medical attention as soon as possible.
- Are you getting adequate sleep? If not, talk to your health care professional for advice.
- Are you eating properly? See the advice of your health care professional if you have questions.
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3329692/
2 https://medlineplus.gov/irritablebowelsyndrome.html
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Photo Source: Pixabay
This blog post is adapted from the forthcoming book, “Caregiving: A Biblical Alternative” by Jimmie Aaron Kepler, Ed.D.
