This past year my four-year-old was finally diagnosed with asthma. Now that asthma is an official diagnosis we can treat her before she contracts pneumonia or bronchitis.
From her first cold at a month old until now, she coughed and wheezed through the winters. Her energy would be low and she spent most of her time lying around. It was hard to watch her go through all the effects of having asthma, especially the pneumonia and subsequent hospitalization.
This past winter she took a preventative medication, twice a day. It works wonderfully! She’s only had 2 colds so far, instead of a constant one, no bronchitis or pneumonia. We’ve only had to use other medication for wheezing a handful of times.
Some people question our use of steroids on such a young child. I simply tell them that the amount of medication she received in the hospital for pneumonia equals a full two years of the home medication. I’d much rather give her mild steroids for 6 months a year than strong ones.
Just like my daughter, we all have a chronic illness – “My Way” (as Frank Sinatra put it). “My Way” takes me through difficult, sometimes horrific times, as I step farther and farther from God’s Way. God then needs to give me serious and powerful medication in order to bring me back to His Way, medication that ranges from a guilty conscious to being broken and sobbing. Treatment s are hard, often painful. It’s not a lot of fun. But God knows it needs to be done - better to remove the cancer, endure a painful recovery and be done with it.
Just like my daughter needs preventative medication for her asthma, I need preventative medication for my own way. Preventative medication such as: reading a verse a day, praying (even short prayers count), spending time worshiping with other Christians, and actively seeking those things that make God happy.
Preventative medicine isn't perfect, not yet. We still live in a sin cursed world. Just like my daughter, from time to time, comes down with the colds, coughs and wheezes, I catch a case of "My Ways." Just like my daughters illnesses no longer escalate into bronchitis or pneumonia, "My Ways" are shorter and I often don't stray as far. As long as I'm keeping up my preventative medications "My Ways" are few and far between (aiming to have them never occur again!).
