Welcome to the Love Where You Are podcast! 

Today I am joined by Andrea Herzer.

Andrea is the author of Incurable Faith: 120 Devotions of Lasting Hope for Lingering Health Issues. She is intimately acquainted with the hardships that accompany debilitating health issues. She has spent the last 20 years with multiple illnesses, including complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Navigating life while undergoing infusions, chemotherapy, more than 100 medical procedures, and all the complications in between has given her deep compassion for those who also suffer.

In this episode, Andrea and I navigate the grueling challenge of how to love where you are when you enter a season of physical pain and suffering.

We dive deep to face the questions that rise about our faith, knowing God’s love for us despite health struggles and how to maintain and even grow in your faith through it all.

We also talk about what we can do when someone we love is suffering, how to best serve them and how it can actually change us in the process. Andrea also gives practical advice to those who are walking in pain right now and how to live an abundant life in Jesus…

Thank you for being here today.

Now, let's dive into the conversation! 

You can connect with Andrea through Instagram and you can buy her book! 

 

FAVORITE TAKE-AWAYS:

-What exactly is an "abundant life"? Is it the work we do, the activities we enjoy, our bucket lists? Or is it the spiritual abundance we receieve from Christ, meaning in our bodily brokenness we can enjoy an abundant life? 

-Some people think health challenges are a barometer of God's love for us and if we only had more faith then we would be cured; in other words, they might think not being healed shows a lack of faith. These ideas of health and faith are not Biblical. 

-Job's friends were not helpful or comforting but they did try to do the right thing. It is easy to have good intentions and still do the wrong thing. When we see someone hurting, the best thing to do is ask that friend what they need from us. 

 

REMEMBER:

-Jesus was wounded, hurt, and had horrible things said and done to Him. He knows our suffering. 

-When people are being hurtful towards us, we can release those things to Jesus through forgiveness. 

-When we are suffering, we need to not make it difficult for others to help. We can feel ashamed to receive help but we need to accept it and sometimes the people who want to help us benefit from being our caregiver more than we realize. 

 

Connect with Somer! 

Stay connected to Somer and the Love Where You Are podcast through her Facebook & Instagram!

Love Where You Are is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org