Lessons I Am Learning
(Through my walk with Parkinson’s disease)
By Joann Blanch — July 1, 2004
Two years ago I began to realize I might have Parkinson’s disease (PD). The symptoms began to take over my daily life. The disease’s telltale signs of tremors and shuffling gait left its mark, and life changed radically for Jack and me. The energy and drive I had always known came to an end. I had to measure my strength in order to do the most important things with the little reserve that was left. Eventually we were able to find a regimen of medication that relieved some of the most difficult symptoms and allowed me to regain some strength and stability.
No longer is it safe for me to cross the street without some kind of assistance, be it an arm to hold on to or my trusty cane. I am comfortable in our little home because there are familiar furniture pieces and walls that help me overcome the instability and rigidity that are the more difficult symptoms to deal with. Emotionally my deepest struggle is with the desire to withdraw. It takes so much effort to extend to touch others. It would be so much easier to retreat. But the Lord won’t let me do that. I feel He has assigned me to use the strength I have in prayer and discipling.
For Jack and me, this has been a time of learning some new lessons from the Lord. May I tell you about some of them?
• The first special word for me was that the Lord has not forgotten His promise of blessing on my life. Almost 35 years ago He had assured me that His plans for me were good and He now reassured me that He hadn’t gone back on His word.
I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen (Jeremiah 29:11,12).
• Another insight the Lord gave was that He had sent this companion to join us. The three of us, Jack and me and our companion PD, would walk together for the rest of my life.
• As I live my everyday life with PD, I see many concepts that speak to living effectively in the body of Christ. I have seen that other parts of the body can help when the weak part is faltering. When my right hand can’t button my jacket or brush my teeth well enough, my left arm can give added strength and my left hand may be able to take over the job.
• Sometimes it is hard to ask for help, but others may not know I need it if I don’t ask for it. I have been so blessed by God’s children who have stepped in to help me, and they, too, have been blessed in helping. Most important of all is for me to understand that God is my Helper. I sense His hand extended to me, reaching down to where I am today and ready to lift me up the moment I realize my need and turn to Him. I’m learning to do that more quickly.
I recently found these words in The Message. They express what I am experiencing as I daily learn to live by His abundant grace:
I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty!
. . . He told me, “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
Joann Blanch lives with her husband, Jack, in Northern California in Brentwood. They were missionaries with The Navigators in Spain and currently minister with the U.S. Hispanic Ministries.
By Joann Blanch — July 1, 2004
Two years ago I began to realize I might have Parkinson’s disease (PD). The symptoms began to take over my daily life. The disease’s telltale signs of tremors and shuffling gait left its mark, and life changed radically for Jack and me. The energy and drive I had always known came to an end. I had to measure my strength in order to do the most important things with the little reserve that was left. Eventually we were able to find a regimen of medication that relieved some of the most difficult symptoms and allowed me to regain some strength and stability.
No longer is it safe for me to cross the street without some kind of assistance, be it an arm to hold on to or my trusty cane. I am comfortable in our little home because there are familiar furniture pieces and walls that help me overcome the instability and rigidity that are the more difficult symptoms to deal with. Emotionally my deepest struggle is with the desire to withdraw. It takes so much effort to extend to touch others. It would be so much easier to retreat. But the Lord won’t let me do that. I feel He has assigned me to use the strength I have in prayer and discipling.
For Jack and me, this has been a time of learning some new lessons from the Lord. May I tell you about some of them?
• The first special word for me was that the Lord has not forgotten His promise of blessing on my life. Almost 35 years ago He had assured me that His plans for me were good and He now reassured me that He hadn’t gone back on His word.
I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen (Jeremiah 29:11,12).
• Another insight the Lord gave was that He had sent this companion to join us. The three of us, Jack and me and our companion PD, would walk together for the rest of my life.
• As I live my everyday life with PD, I see many concepts that speak to living effectively in the body of Christ. I have seen that other parts of the body can help when the weak part is faltering. When my right hand can’t button my jacket or brush my teeth well enough, my left arm can give added strength and my left hand may be able to take over the job.
• Sometimes it is hard to ask for help, but others may not know I need it if I don’t ask for it. I have been so blessed by God’s children who have stepped in to help me, and they, too, have been blessed in helping. Most important of all is for me to understand that God is my Helper. I sense His hand extended to me, reaching down to where I am today and ready to lift me up the moment I realize my need and turn to Him. I’m learning to do that more quickly.
I recently found these words in The Message. They express what I am experiencing as I daily learn to live by His abundant grace:
I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty!
. . . He told me, “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
Joann Blanch lives with her husband, Jack, in Northern California in Brentwood. They were missionaries with The Navigators in Spain and currently minister with the U.S. Hispanic Ministries.
