A couple of weeks ago I shared bits and pieces of my experience with thyroid disease and the journey back to wholeness. It has been a long four years of ups and downs and those endless questions.

At first, I was frustrated with not finding answers and no longer understanding my body well. I didn’t want to accept this part of my story that God was writing. One hard season turned into an extended search. The details aren’t really necessary now because I have come out on the other side. This year is evidence that God was leading me the whole time.

I couldn’t rush the process and skip ahead to the beginning of one chapter without finishing the current one.

I had to stay the course, persevere, push my way to the next part. I had to accept what God offered each day…the strength to survive that season…and I learned to trust that some answers were coming, the ones I needed for healing and wholeness.

Hope may feel distant at times, but God never leaves.

Now I am better. I found answers. I feel more whole, more alive, more joy for the life God gave me and the people He put in it. He restored me to a point of thriving again.

Yes, my diet grew more limited in recent years, but that led me to a different freedom. Even within limitations, an abundance of options can be found. I had to change the way I thought about some foods and stop worrying about what I can’t eat. I looked at what was left and realized there are still plenty of foods to love. And I’ve learned to try so many new things. For 30 years, I said I didn’t like sweet potatoes. Now it is a favorite and almost always on the grocery list.