Her Courage. (Dedicated to Sis.)

Life is short.

Isn't that one of the first catch phrases we memorize growing up?

They say it when we're in college, unsure about life. Life is short...live it up!

They say it when we fall in love. Life is short...don't let him/her go.

They say it when we have children. Life is short...enjoy every second.

Tonight this catch phrase stinks. I hate it. I hate the reality it sets in when we realize just how sacred time and life really are. What I hate even more is that it usually takes a tribulation to really understand the significance of it.

A tribulation I will call "disease." Disease and I don't get along. I never liked him from day one. On day one, I was about 12 and one of my dearest friends, who I'll call "Sis", was about 9. She sat next to me in the corner of our church bench and whispered in my ear "I have lupus."

Me: "You have what?"
Sis: "Lupus. My mom said its an autoimmune disease."
Me: Look of confusion
Sis: "That's why I'm always tired. And that's why my hands and feet sometimes turn purple."

That was the start of Sis' long journey battling lupus. I can't possibly recount all of the physical and emotional ordeals she has had to deal with. The numerous stays in the hospital, hip surgery, heart surgery, dialysis, medications, steroids, therapies, body pains, hair loss, weight loss, nausea...should I continue? Just today, Sis was admitted in the hospital for severe leg pain. So severe that she is having trouble walking.

What amazes me is her undeniable Faith in her ultimate Healer, God. Her beyond-the-shadow-of-a-doubt belief that He has her in His hands. Safe. Healed. But do you know what makes me in awe even more than her belief? It is her ability to touch other's lives because of it. Her courage.

Most of Sis' close family and friends know the severity of her lupus. What most people don't know is that her doctors call her a Miracle. Just last week they told her they have never seen a patient in her condition as healthy and vibrant as she is. What most people also don't know is how good Sis takes care of her health through her nutrition. A daughter of a West Indies native mother who raised her children holistically, (not knowing we now call it that) Sis' mom believed in all natural foods and cooked everything from scratch. I remember their meals mostly consisting of whole grains, fresh vegetables, fruits, and homemade soups. Her mother was an encyclopedia of natural herbal remedies and teas to treat ailments. Sis has carried a lot of these customs with her and continues to nourish herself the way she was raised.  Her doctors attribute part of her vitality on how she cares for herself, including her nutrition.

Sis attributes all of her vitality on God.

So part of me appreciates and admires how Sis has been able to mitigate some of the side effects of lupus through her innocent holisticish living. But all of me just wants to thank God that she is ok and that she will pull through.

Be strong, courageous, and firm;

fear not nor be in terror before them, 

for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you;

He will not fail you or forsake you.

(Deuteronomy 31:6)

For more information about Sis' journey, follow her on www.lupusmyjourney.hubpages.com.