This morning I was standing in the shower when something occurred to me. My bum knee had not caused me pain in over two months. This was a huge deal. After an injury in boot camp, my right knee had caused me pain off and on for almost twenty years now. Walking long distances was hard, running impossible, and if I was going on a long drive I better have cruise control or I’d be limping for days. The knee had bothered me sporadically for forever, but after I began working full time again I noticed an increase in the pain. It started to become daily, and that was when the idea of filing VA disability came to mind.
Despite the societal prejudices against people on disability, I personally felt it was a good thing when warranted. In fact, when I was separating from the service and went through a class on VA disability I had convinced my mother, a veteran, to apply. The extra funds were a huge blessing for my family and for my mother a former RN who was no longer able to work. My father, he’s also on disability. He served his country and I’ve heard the horror stories that haunt him still from his time active duty. I watched him break his back (literally) working swing shift in a factory for 25 years. I saw him persevere through back surgery and knee surgeries and still keep working. He’s now on disability after years of physical labor, and if anyone deserves it I believe he does. But this isn’t about who I think deserves disability. It’s about choosing disability over God’s ability. Something you see often.
Months ago when I began to consider a disability claim, naturally I prayed about it. I sought the Lord for the best direction.
I prayed, “Lord, is this something I need to do? Honestly, I’d rather have your healing over money.”
My knee hasn’t hurt me since. A chronic injury that had begun haunting me every day hasn’t bothered me since I prayed that prayer. I found that crazy, miraculous, and typical of God. But it brought to my mind this morning how often in life we miss the chance to simply accept the healing and wellness God has for our lives.
I won’t claim to know everything, and everyone’s situation is different. God’s will is beyond my comprehension. Some illnesses or injuries will not be healed on this side of eternity, but I do know this. No healing is performed if we don’t ask or we don’t want it. If you’re wanting income over wellness then healing won’t come. If you’re placing more dependence on disability income than faith in God’s ability, then healing won’t come. In this life, we must be open to God’s miraculous intervention and provision to receive them. So the only question for anyone to ask themselves is, do I want disability over the Lord’s ability? I mean, for me the income would be welcomed with open arms, but I also know God’s plans to prosper me are much greater than anything I can do on my own. A disability claim shouldn’t be the first-thought, go-to solution for earning money when physical constraints make it difficult to work. Sometimes there’s another way; God’s healing.
Food for thought: How many times do we bypass His best for our lives and miss out on His ability to prosper us physically, financially, and spiritually in favor of government assistance? It’s good to have when it’s needed, but what if it wasn’t so quickly used first? What if we gave God a chance to provide what He’s so eager to give? What if we trusted the Lord’s ability over filing disability?
