WELCOME TO LUCCA SUNFLOWER
ABOUT ME
“The Lord is my strength and my song,
He has become my salvation.”
~ Psalm 118:14
My name is Crystal. I’m a wife and mother who has been battling life-threatening illness most of my life. I have lupus, anticardiolipin antibodies, history of blood clots, POTS syndrome, kidney transplant; the list goes on and on! Because of this, I have been forced to rely on God for all things. Every single day, I am very aware that this body/this world was not built to last. It has made me cling to the cross; fully dependent on Him for each and every breath. This has been my life for the past 25+ years. All this time, there has been a patient whisper reminding me of my calling…
I know that God is calling me to write; to have the courage to finally write my story of survival. He has been asking me to open up and share my life, but I have wrestled with Him for years… you see, this is not the story I want to tell… I would NOT have chosen this path. My flesh would much rather have a life free of pain. There are times I feel angry watching “healthy” people go about their lives. If I had the choice, I would (and often do) beg for relief; sometimes more desperately than others. My pain has led me on a constant search for comfort. True, deep, soul comfort; contentment and hope that can only be found in God alone!!!
My natural instinct is to hide my pain. To be honest, there are not many who can handle watching the fullness of my suffering. I have learned to “put on the face” in order to exist in public. Most of the time, I am crumbling inside and everyday tasks often feel impossible. The physical / mental / emotional / spiritual battle is overwhelming and I do not always respond as I should. Yet as someone special once said, “Look how the Lord loves and trusts you to give you such a burden!” Those were some of the most beautiful, humbling, heartbreaking and encouraging words I have ever heard. It is hard to accept the truth that God wants more for me than earthly comforts. He wants me absolutely desperate for Him… and so I am…
“So we do not lose heart.
Though our outer self is wasting away,
our inner self is being renewed day by day.
For this light momentary affliction
is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
as 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
Therefore, this blog is my sharing of my past/present/future walk with the Lord. My ongoing journey of scraping my way through life; deeply anticipating heaven when I will finally see the precious face of Jesus, and forever experience God’s eternal glory! This is my daily leap of faith; trusting in the Lord to provide for all my needs; being overwhelmed/overcome by God’s unfailing love. By His grace and mercy, I am a survivor! I am grateful to be alive; I have seen miracles happen right in from of my eyes. I know He is able!
I pray God uses any piece of my pilgramage to deeply bless, inspire and encourage you. My ultimate goal with this blog is to lift you up and to encourage you to reach your full spiritual potential, in whatever season you may be in. The Lord knows, He cares, He is making it right… Thank you for joining me as we follow the Son!
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay,
to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake,
so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
So death is at work in us, but life in you.”
~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-12
