My journey of being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease was terrifying. First, because I was alarmingly low in blood. Second, because I was initially misdiagnosed with something significantly worse than Crohn’s. Third, because I saw this health condition as a defeat, a fatal blow, a deep darkness covering the rest of my life. This is how it all ends, I thought, letting fear and sadness drown me in that darkness. My life is over. Like a creepy Jack O Lantern, glowing its orange light in the darkness, Crohn’s has scared me out of my socks.

This past Sunday, I ran the Good Life Halfsy half-marathon. It took me two and a half hours to complete it. While I am a slow runner, my goal was to not stop running. No walk. No stretching break. No bathroom break. No matter how slow my pace would get, I was just wanted to keep moving forward. Why? Because I needed to tell my past self that God is in the business of making pumpkin pies out of scary Jack O Lanterns. With the help of his Spirit, wise medical professionals, a supporting wife and inspiring individuals along the way, I was able to go from fear to joy. From thinking my life was over to crossing, slowly, a half-marathon’s finish line. I am not going to lie, I was trying my best to not weep while doing so.

And yet, I am aware that my experience running this race was only a foretaste. My body will fight Crohn’s for the rest of my life. You are likely to have lifelong challenges as well. Mental, physical, relational… Yet, moments like yesterday reminded me of the following promises: “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5), “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:11). I got my joy yesterday while running. A joy that looks forward to the Joy I’ll have the day when Jesus returns and all things, including my grumpy body, are made new. One way or another, God wants to give you a foretaste of that joy too. If anything, by reminding us that through his death and resurrection, He has written the end of our story. He knows that it doesn’t finish with us drowning in darkness, but dancing joyfully in abundance of life eternal.