Jessy was introduced to Santy and me by a physician friend of ours more than a decade ago while she was seeking treatment here in Los Angeles.  At the time she was in her late 20s, looking as healthy as anybody in that age group but inside, there’s this chronic disease called multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord, causing permanent damage to the nerves.

By the grace of God, she is doing remarkably well and continues to lead an active life.  In the last couple of years, she has spoken about the disease on a variety of forums to raise awareness of the disease.

This past week Jessy was back for a medical check-up, so Santy and I had the opportunity to meet with her again.  In almost everything she said, she always mentioned about the grace of God, and how God had been good to her.  She also shared with us her motto in life that had guided her through this journey of living with MS which she summed up in 4 G: Grace, Gratitude, Grit, and Gift.  Throughout this journey she has experienced God’s grace, for that she is deeply grateful.  But living with MS also requires her to be strong, to have grit, and not to give up on life.  Lastly, she chooses to see life, even this disease, as a gift. Hearing this last part made me pause.

It is one thing to accept one’s condition of chronic degeneration but is another thing to see it as a gift.  She told us that once she saw it as a gift from God, she could trust God, that He’s in control of it and of her life.  She can now rest in Him. This reminds me of Psalm 91:1, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”  The secret place of God is fully trusting Him, so, we who put our trust in God fully will be able to rest in Him fully, knowing that He is near, so near that His shadow is over us.  That is Jessy’s secret; a secret that she is eager to share with others.  Jessy lives fully because she sees life simply as a gift. 

Pastor Paul