And God said to trust Him. With all of your heart. Never lean on your own understanding. In all of your ways…submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.

You. Must. Have. Faith.

 Hi there, Cam here! So nice of you to join me. Do you have your coffee ready? ….. or tea

Well, pull up a chair and have a seat with me. Let’s chat.

So, I bought a car yesterday! Exciting I know. Funny thing? I am just now feeling the excitement. No, not because I was too busy racking my brain regarding finances, or thinking that this transaction…this milestone wasn’t at all monumental, but…the normal feeling of excitement associated with buying a new car escaped me because … the entire ordeal flustered me into a flare up.

There I was, about to sign papers solidifying the deal and I sat…pen in one hand…and a cane in the other.

The business accountant drawing up my papers, looked at me in perplex. Since he had reviewed my profile on paper, 27…full time employed, graduate degree, single in New York…the only logical answer to the cane was obvious in his mind I imagine. And the logical, obvious question associated with my accessory escaped his lips with ease: “So, you had an accident” he says with a smile…and I pause.

I hold my breath, and chew on his simple, with ease, logical and obvious question…because in that moment…I realized the truth…it was invisible.

This chronic…. debilitating disease was invisible.

Here I am, in pain, can’t think, balance gone and quite frankly the fatigue was increasingly becoming unbearable…however, to the onlooker…my smile…my profile on paper…and my cane…. had an obvious answer without question… “accident”.

“No…I was diagnosed with MS”.

The words escaped me, firmly…as though I was trying to cut through to all of those with no clue, or desire to learn what Multiple Sclerosis was and the effects it has on the roughly 2.3 million people in the world that are currently surviving it.

So, the overwhelming task of buying a new car, coupled with the frustration of defending my ailment surged me into a flare up.

What’s a flare up? So glad you asked. *Clears throat* I’d like to welcome you all to the “Camisha’s crash course on the science and workings of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)”. Make sure you take notes, there will be a quiz after the course!

Ok, take out your pens and paper class…. here we go:

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system). ‘Sclerosis’ means scarring or hardening of tiny patches of tissue and nerves. ‘Multiple’ is added because this can happen in more than one place.It’s a chronic, often debilitating, autoimmune disease in which there is currently no cure. The disease is unpredictable and occurs in waves – this is medically termed relapsing and remitting. When there is a relapse or a ‘flare up’ the body is confused and begins attacking the nerves within itself. During this attack the body begins chewing on the nerve coating (medically known as myelin) and when the chewing ceases, there are then scarring (lesions) on the sections of the nerves attacked. When this happens, and after, it becomes difficult or impossible for the brain to communicate with the area that’s ‘chewed’ and as such lesions form on the brain from the struggle in addition to the lesions created on the nerves attacked. Resulting in a plethora of symptoms! Medication for MS slows down the progression of the disease and works to minimize the amount of flare ups that occur.

More often than not the scarring that happens as a result of these flareups can be severe and cause the symptoms stick, or functioning to then be frayed…but God.

*Deep Breath* Whoo, that was a mouth full!

Now, can you imagine…. all of that happening…. while trying to buy a new car. Excitement, was the last thing on my mind.

So…my friends, I’ve been chewing on his question as to my cane being an “accident” all day…. and, I know he meant physically … but really the question was weighted as so much more and as such…my “No” response to him…. really meant so much more.

No, because…this…was no accident.

No, because although MS is something, I battle daily…It isn’t my only story.

No, because our God is perfect, and His plans for us are way too perfect for us to consistently label the bad…the thorns in our flesh…. the very files that make up our MSey lives as….”accidents”.

No, because He has…and forever will work all things out for our good.

After receiving my keys. I walked up to my brand-new car with the help of my cane….and with a deep breath, I declared…

No, because…Faith.

So, I want to encourage you to keep moving forward my friends.

Faith, first.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”– Hebrews 11:1