Do you feel cheated?

I have mentioned before that most of my blogs come from my own personal experiences. After all, what better way to have knowledge of something then when you have experienced it yourself.
This blog is definitely one of those experiences.
Many of you know that I have a spinal cord injury. As a result, most of the medical situations I have are a result of that injury, except the leukemia.
This week I had my checkup with my neurologist. The appointment went very well actually, with many things to think about. With this statement most would automatically think my exam was great and no issues. It actually was the opposite. With a spinal cord injury like mine, the deterioration is ongoing. So things are always changing. However, my husband and I came away from the visit with some new information and some possible new ways to manage my care. So even though my neurological status has changed, and will continue to do so, I came away from that visit encouraged.
That brings me to the question "have you ever felt cheated?" This is a legitimate question. Most of us have dealt with something "big" during our lifetime. It may be financial, health related, loss of a loved one, and so on. When those things come at us it can be a hard hit. They can knock the wind out of us. They can make hope appear dim. They can put us in a state of mind that is not healthy, we start to feel sorry for ourselves, we get depressed, we lose our fight. All because we feel cheated.
I want to tell you today that with Jesus by our side, we will never be cheated. He is the Lord God Almighty. He is all powerful. He reigns and rules over all the earth. And He loves us with His all. Knowing this, how can we feel cheated? We have a choice to sit and pout or rise up out of our chair and stand strong and move forward.
I choose life in Jesus. I choose victory with the help of Jesus. Sure, my walking isn't what it used to be. I can no longer work. I can no longer drive. I can no longer do the gardening I used to. And the list goes on. But what I can do is worship my Lord God with all my heart. I can sit and have a conversation with Jesus, and it stays between He and I. I can sit outside and enjoy the birds singing, and smell the flowers.  I can write a blog, encourage others, pray for others. So do I feel cheated, NO!  Absolutely not. I choose life. I choose victory. I choose to keep my mind focused on Jesus and all He has for me. I refuse to dwell in the negative.
You see, we all have a choice of how we will deal with our problems. Jesus is always by your side, He will never leave you. But are you letting Him be a part of your life and help you through your ordeal?
I want to encourage you faithful readers, there is always hope when we have Jesus by our side. There is always a love that never ends when we have Jesus by our side. There is always something to be thankful for, a reason to get up and move forward, and stop the negative thinking, because Jesus is bigger than any of those things, and He will give you the strength to keep going.
Am I content having a spinal cord injury, of course not. Am I content not being as physically active as I once was, of course not. Am I content with Jesus by my side, absolutely. Because He is stronger and bigger than any of those things, therefore He will get me through the tough times and make me victorious. He will give my doctors wisdom for my treatment, He will give me wisdom and knowledge so I can fill my mind with encouraging and positive thoughts and ideas.
I share this with you, my friends, so that you can be encouraged and rise up in victory with Jesus by your side. I pray that you all find the hope, love, peace, comfort, and strength that Jesus has for you. We all matter to Him. Every single one of us has a purpose. So don't feel cheated. When something is lost, Jesus will give you something new. That, my friends, is encouraging.