As I was considering a topic to write about, the expression "write what you know" kept coming to mind. I do not consider myself an expert on any particular topic, but I do feel my experience living with chronic illness (lupus and fibromyalgia) is worth sharing. So, over the next few weeks, I will write about living life to the fullest, despite illness and disability.

I am still surprised when I hear of the number of people with disabilities and illnesses.

According to a study conducted by Stats Canada in 2001 on people "whose everyday activities are limited because of a condition or health problem," 3,601,270 people in Canada have a disability. That is 12.4 per cent of Canada's population (28,991,770).

In B.C. alone, there are 530,130 disabled people, representing 14 per cent of B.C.'s population.

The study further states: "Nearly 2.5 million or 10.5 per cent of Canadians reported that they had difficulty walking, climbing stairs, carrying an object for a short distance, and standing in line for 20 minutes or moving about from one room to another. Further, pain-related disability was reported almost as frequently as mobility-related disability. Some 2.4 million persons aged 15 and over reported having activity limitations related to chronic pain."

If you are struggling with similar problems, you are not alone. There is no doubt that the majority of the 3.6 million people in the study have felt similar shock, hurt, loneliness, anger, depression and other emotions that inevitably occur as a result of the struggles and losses faced on a daily basis.

All those emotions are normal and healthy as we grieve our losses, but it is important that we do not become consumed by them.

Despite how bad things are, at some point we need to begin to move on with life. In order to do that, we have to believe that there is still hope and purpose for us. Not just the hope to be well, but a deeper hope that remains with us, despite our situation, and whether or not we get better.

It is a hope that comes only from having Jesus in our lives. It is in that place of hope that our perspective changes and we begin to see there is still a purpose for our life, and that there are still good things ahead.

Looking back at my experience, at the beginning I was so weak I could not cut meat at dinner. What hope was there? My life seemed to have no purpose or meaning. Everything seemed hopeless. But God cared and was changing my life. He is still working in my life every day and wants to work in your life as well.

You can start fresh today, regardless of your situation. You can begin to build your life anew, based on the true hope that comes from God who loves you and cares about you.

The Bible says in Psalm 145, verses 17 to 19:
"The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them."

I encourage you to ask the Lord to help and guide you. He will answer your prayer, just as He did mine, and you can begin to rebuild your life with the hope and strength that comes only from Him.

Patricia Bryan is the Pastor of His Path Christian Centre (pat@hispath.org).

Column – Acts of Faith Sep 02 2006
By Pat Bryan, NEWS Columnist