It’s been a little while since I sat down to write an update on us. Since I’ve scaled back from my social media quite a bit, I figured it might be time to do that again.
An Update on James
James’ atopic dermatitis continues to be a concern. For the last little while, we’ve been trying various elimination diets, trying to see if food is an aggravant to his condition. Although it feels helpless most of the time, we are thankful to have something we can proactively do to work toward a solution. The discipline of diet has helped give us a sense of empowerment in trying to overcome. So that’s positive; although, his condition is still quite life-altering and challenging, and some days are still very hard for both of us.
Today, I was thinking and praying about it, and this Scripture passage came to my mind:
Proverbs 30:7-9
“Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full and deny you
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God.”
Here’s where that hit me: A weakness in my own character is the desire to be well-thought-of by other people. And frankly, to be well-thought-of by myself.
Yet, here we are in this struggle. The Lord has given us a real challenge to keep us humble and dependent on Him. It’s one that is well beyond our control, and it’s one that has offered the opportunity for compassion to grow in us for others in humble situations.
That lesson is a treasure and a gift.
The way those thoughts tie into the passage above is that, if we both had great health and all seemed to be going well, we might be (unknowingly) rotting away in our own pride, being “Full of good things,” forgetting to offer God the gratitude He deserves as the Giver of every good gift. (“Lest I be full and deny you.”)
On the other hand, despite our struggles, we have so much to be grateful for (“feed me with food that is needful for me”). We have loving families, whom we love – we have our bills paid and a sweet little baby to be thankful for. Such a wealth of kindness from our Lord.
He has kept us from pride in this season, and he has kept us from poverty– both in spiritual and practical ways.
Spiritually, we are dependent instead of “Full.” But, we are not empty– we are blessed. Practically, we are dependent instead of “Full.” And again, we are not empty– we are blessed.
I am thankful.
Thanks to all who’ve continued to pray for us in this season. We continue to hope and pray that James will be healed, and that one day his body won’t be as constantly tortuous as it has been. Yet, in the meantime, we also pray for growth: and the Lord is cultivating that in us. He does answer prayer!
An Update on Me
In addition to taking care of our sweet little baby (another post for another day), walking with James through this season, and learning to cook with dietary limitations, I have learned an important skill:
No joke: I LEARNED HOW TO ROAST AN INCREDIBLE CHICKEN. Sounds like I need humbling, haha – But for real guys, I’m talking packed with flavor, crispy skin, juicy meat, and EASY TO PREP.
The secret? I’m not taking credit for myself, don’t worry- it’s Kenji Lopez’s book, The Food Lab. My life has been forever changed.
I feel like in the wake of the spiritual lessons of James’ life, my chicken victory sounds kinda silly… But in an update on me, I had to include that. It’s literally been one of the most exciting things in my life at the moment, haha (not because I lead a boring life, but because I am a food nerd sometimes).
Anyway, if you’d like an update on baby, let me know! Or a review on The Food Lab let me know. I’d be happy to share either way (when I have time). 😉
Thanks for keeping up with us. I feel so honored that any of you take the time to slog through these long updates, just to be informed about our lives. Thank you for loving us. 🙂
–Naomi
P.S. I need to add Poultry Shears and a good Roasting Pan to My Wish List. ‘Tis my hope that my new poultry skills will revolutionize every chicken (AND TURKEY!!!) I ever cook from here on out!
P.P.S. I can’t wait to cook a turkey this way!!
