I have led a very blessed life, and I will confess that I have had little to do with that. I try to be kind to everyone I meet. I try my best to live at peace with all. I want my life – my words and actions – to reflect Jesus. But being a Christian doesn’t exempt someone from trouble. In fact, the Bible says, “in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.”

My best friend was diagnosed this year with Multiple Sclerosis. It was brought on by a medication she was using for her severe Psoriatic Arthritis, from which she has suffered for years. She had been a care-giver to her mother who passed just a couple years ago from kidney failure. These are just a few of the trials my friend has faced. She has seen troubles. She has faced tribulation. She has dealt with so much heartbreak in her young life that most people couldn’t imagine going on. But she’s tough.

When she couldn’t walk, she prayed. When she couldn’t stand up, she called out to God. She knew that He was there, and that He was using her. She wasn’t always thrilled with that thought, but she took it up with dignity and courage. She wanted her children, and the children with whom she worked every day (as a teachers’ aid at an elementary school) to see her walk again. And before school ended this May, they did.

She is walking, driving, and doing just about everything she did before. She’s slower now. She’s more aware of her body’s signals. She needs more rest. But she is BRAVE. I know I will never fully understand every challenge she faces every time the sun rises, but I want to be there for her. I want her to know how much I admire and respect her. I love her.