Perseverance

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the LORD has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)

I have learned that in recovery or working towards a goal that there will be days that don’t go according to plan. Things come up flu, fever, spilled milk, homework assignments, the need to focus on something other than the plan, these necessary unplanned distractions occur and I am working on “being enough” and having “grace” for myself. The desired destination for me is the motivation for change or experience but the journey on the way can give you tools and healing that you never expected to receive. Those inconveniences, bumps, valleys, breakdowns, and storms, will try to mess up our plans to reach our goal. How can I change and be different? I can control my reactions and thoughts of processing when those inconveniences arise. I can choose to act in a way that brings good change and continue to journey with God at my side.

My journey of becoming a licensed healer started long before the birth of my son. God had introduced the idea of knowing and loving people with, what the medical world refers to as, “impairments.”

During my undergraduate career, I worked for a man that owned a small business of Insurance Marketing. He used his gift of talking to help insurance agents set up appointments with new potential clients. Strangely, up to this point in my life I had not experienced personal or business relationships with a person that had any type of medical impairment or “different-ability”. When my boss was a young boy he was diagnosed with a brain tumor that took his eyesight and hearing. He just amazed me at his capability to help provide for his family, live a life praising God, and his optimistic outlook on life. We still remain friends over the years, checking in with each other every once in a while.

After graduating from undergrad in 2002, I worked a few jobs trying to pay off my school loans and figure out the direction of my life. I did not feel fulfilled working as an executive administrative assistant in an actuary office nor as an Account Collections Administrative Assistant for an Import company. Thankfully, I was laid off from both jobs which directed me to take a job as a Nanny. I worked for a family in Encino with twin middle school children, a boy, and a girl. The young boy was my main charge. He had a tumor in his spine which caused some impairments to his ability to walk and caused incontinence, also prior to this, he was diagnosed to be on the Autism Spectrum. My duties also included taking my young charge to his physical therapy appointments at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Prior to this experience, I had never heard of this profession called Physical Therapy. As I sat there in the outpatient clinic, I was reminded how in High School I enjoyed PE and exercise. I had thought about becoming a teacher or PE coach, but quickly put that out of my mind because I was not fond of middle school or even high school. I became pregnant while working with this family and my season of working there came to an end.

Then on September 12, 2004, my son was born diagnosed with an orthopedic condition, called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita. God used my son to guide me to where he wanted me to use my talents. I believe that my son was God’s way of introducing me to his plan for my life, to be a spirit of healing, to bring the news of hope to parents of children with special needs, to touch a soul into healing, and the many more talents HE has planned to reveal.

My son was in grade school when I started to prepare for applying to graduate school for Physical Therapy. I was accepted by several programs but I determined that my best option was University of St. Augustine, Flex Program of San Marcos, San Diego, California. I enrolled and began my journey through PT graduate school in August of 2010.

Perceverance means a, “steady persistance in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc; especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles or discouragements,” (dictionary.com).

And the difficulties, obstacles, and discouragement did pile on during my years of graduate school and even following. My maternal grandfather died shortly after he had decided to gift me my tuition and supplies during graduate school. My biological mother manipulated my brother, sister and I, to not collect our inheritance from our grandfather and instead give it all to her. My boyfriend and I had difficulties managing our relationship due to my busy schedule and being a mom. My son’s father and I were in and out of family court for five-plus years. My son required two major corrective surgeries for his arm function and then to release pressure on lumbar and sacral nerve roots. Following my son’s surgeries, we had recovery physical therapy sessions for a year each. My biological mother and her addictions almost lost what was left of my grandfather’s inheritance. My living situation was compromised several times because we could not afford to stay current on the mortgage and or HOA dues. And then I also became a newlywed, started home renovations and became a mother again.

I hope you are getting the idea of the amount of stress I had over a period of eight years. I was managing a lot of situations and trying to get my life focused on God’s plans for me. The difficulties, obstacles, discouragement, and financial challenges brought me to breaking points but I needed to “just keep swimming.” Here I am four years and three months after graduation from graduate school and I have not given up on the dream that God put into my heart almost fourteen years ago.

I am going to take my PT licensing exam. I have paid the fees or random to Physical Therapy Federal Board and to the California Physical Therapy Board. I have enrolled in courses to help me study and stay on a focused plan of PASS. I am taking practice exams, making Clinical Focus Topics, and learning how to live a balance holistic life with my children. It has been a difficult journey as one of my dearest friends says (my interpretation), “Diane you don’t like to follow the easy path that God has set before you, you like to dig tunnels, march up Mount Everest, and find trouble along the way.”

God has helped me even when I disobeyed his clear path. God has helped to make unmanageable situations a little more bearable and he wants me to succeed. He allowed me to get my inheritance as promised by my grandfather, he opened doors for regular child development care for my daughter, he has helped me to help my son to find healing and success, he has provided a helper for me during the week, and has paved a path for my spiritual recovery with Celebrate Recovery.

“…let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

I continue to pursue the purpose of my life to be a healer, I continue to be the best mother, sister, friend, and follower that I can be, to spread good, and I know that my season of reaping the harvest is on its way because I have not given up.

“…rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and how does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the HOLY SPIRIT who has been given to us.” (Romans 5: 3-5)

How has your endurance produced the fruit of character in your life? How are you honestly working toward using your gifts that God has planned for your life works?