You might be wondering why I have not released a video in a few weeks. Well, there is a reason for that. I have been dealing with a pressure sore that has given me reduced time to work. Let me explain.

Living in a wheelchair comes with a certain set of risks. When you don't have the muscle strength to reposition yourself you can sometimes get pressure sores. Since I sit in the same position all the time, if there is a point of pressure in my seat, it can decrease blood flow to that area and cause a sore.

There are several ways these sores can be mitigated such as using my seat tilting function to relieve pressure and having a molded seat to reduce pressure hot spots in the most at risk areas. Despite taking these measures, my parents found a large pressure sore a few weeks ago about the size of a quarter near my left sitting bone after I felt pain in that area.

These pressure sores can get infected and become serious if not taken care of, so it is important to make the necessary changes so it can heal. This means that I started tilting more, but when that didn't seem to help, that necessitated I spend several hours a day in bed to further help it along. This leaves me with only one or two hours to work each day which makes it impossible to keep producing videos on top of the other necessary administrative tasks and my part time job at my church. It has even been a challenge just to write this blog post and get it published.

These sores can take several weeks to get better. In fact, it can take a couple of weeks before improvement is even visible. My doctors have told me that the edges of skin around the sore appear healthy and that it is probably healing even though little improvement can be seen. They have given me a therapeutic ointment I can use in the area and suggested that I see a wound care clinic to make sure that things are headed in the right direction. They also recommend that I get a new molded seat since I am due for one. The current molded seat I use was recently found to not be as durable as other types so that could partly be to blame. Once I get healed, I get to go through the long and laborious process of getting a new seat. Yay! (insert sarcastic statement here)

Until then, I just have to wait to get better. It is excruciating not being able to keep up with my ministry responsibilities since I have to spend so much time in bed, but it is better to do everything I can to get better now than to let it get worse and pay for it later. This has given me more time to read the Bible, listen to sermons, and pray, so it is not all bad. However, I am ready for life to get back to normal and resume making videos.

As I am waiting, God has been reminding me to trust him through this time of healing and frustration. It is especially encouraging to remember that this struggle and all our earthly struggles for that matter are only temporary.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:16–18

This encourages me because it shows that even though my body is weak and has this sore, God can still renew my soul every day. That is exactly what he has been doing as I have spent time in the word and in prayer. Ultimately, all our earthly struggles are momentary afflictions as we wait for the eternity that we cannot see. In the eternal kingdom after this heaven and earth has passed away, all our pain and sufferings will be no more.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:4 

When we face struggles and difficulties it is easy to lose sight of the big picture and become discouraged or frustrated. There are times I still feel discouraged as I am enduring this situation (Stop it flesh!). It is in these times we need to remember the temporary nature of our struggles and that God will remove all these things when we dwell in his eternal kingdom. I am thankful that these struggles will not last, and we should all be encouraged by this reminder.

While I recover, there are many ways you can pray for me:

• Obviously, pray for the healing of my sore and that it does not become infected.

• Pray for patience so I'm not driven crazy by the time I need to spend in bed.

• Pray that I don't develop a habit of laziness while I cannot work.

• Pray that God continues to renew my strength and soul so when I am healed from this sore, I am ready to resume work at full pace.

• Pray for my parents as they are needing to do a little extra to care for me because of this sore.