Challenges, trials, and tribulations will always be a part of life, and the only control one has is how they choose to respond, learn, and reflect upon them. Those trials propel change in one's life. Change can be scary, because it is unpredictable.

Multiple Sclerosis  is a chronic, typically progressive disease involving damage to the sheaths of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.  Symptoms may include numbness, impairment of speech and of muscular coordination, blurred vision, and severe fatigue.  In the recent past, I learned my dad had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS is not as severe as cancer but still is an extremely devastating disease. My dad being diagnosed not only altered my life, but changed myself in the process. I couldn't allow the fear of change to get in the way of my growth and development as an individual.

My dad is my ultimate role model. I strive to one day be the man he is. The sacrifices that he makes daily just for the good of my family, his strong faith in God, and the strong values that he has taught me are just a few of the reasons why I look up to him. He travels for his job every week and sacrificed giving up time with family, so that he could provide the money necessary for our family to prosper. My dad being diagnosed with MS strengthened my faith, gave me a new value on past memories, and helped define my character.
 

Faith is a huge part of my life, and my relationship with Jesus Christ is the single most important thing to me. When my dad was diagnosed, it challenged my faith in a big way. I questioned everything at first. Why would God do this to my dad who was a hard working devoted Christian? Why did he deserve this, and what was the purpose behind it? I had to rely solely on trust in God, which was something I had never done before.  My dad loves to run; he usually runs about 6 miles a day. MS can eventually inhibit a person’s ability to walk, so I wondered why God would allow his passion of running to be stripped away. After his diagnosis, I began to pray more and dig deeper into scripture and that slowly strengthened my relationship with Christ. We don’t know why things happen to us or our loved ones, but we don’t need to know.  God has a master plan that we cannot understand or see, but he does everything for our greater good. Although it was devastating news for my dad and our loved ones, he doesn’t let it get him down. His strong faith and trust in Christ keeps his spirits high, and he enjoys his life and time with friends and family. A bible verse that has really had an impact on my dad and I is Romans 8:18. “What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” Suffering is just a part of life, and we all suffer through different ways. We need to let go of our desire to have control and have peace knowing God is in control.
 

Our lives revolve around time, and how we as a society never seem to have enough of it. What we do with our time and how we prioritize, impacts our lives. I never fully appreciated the moments I had with my dad, and it was one of the biggest mistakes I made. I never prioritized being with my dad, because I felt like he would always be here and always able to do anything physically. It opened my eyes, and I realized how important it was to make every moment I had with my dad matter. I wanted to make memories playing golf with him and watching football because that can end so unexpectedly. It was so easy to think about my own wants and plans for my future that I became single minded. I appreciate times with my family and my dad more than I ever have, and that has really shown me what matters in life. Reflecting back to a “bad” situation really benefited me in a way that I didn’t expect.

Character is defined by a lot of things, but when I think about moments that defined me, I don’t think about the happy times when nothing was bothering me.  It is the hard circumstances, the pain and suffering that has shown me what I’m made of and who I really am. When my dad was diagnosed, it hurt knowing he wasn’t going to be as strong physically anymore. It hurt knowing he would have to take shots every two weeks and medication just to keep it from getting worse. It hurt knowing he was constantly in pain. I have more compassion for people going through tough family times and sickness. It changed my perspective in a big way, and I feel everyday for those who suffer through diseases like MS.

In conclusion, one of the most important things I’ve learned since the diagnosis is: I am third. So I’ve tried to live like I’m the third most important thing in my life. God takes priority first, everyone else second, and myself third. Life is such a complicated and delicate thing. Humans are here one moment, gone the next, and most of us go to bed not knowing whether we will wake up the next morning. We don’t know why things happen to us or our loved ones, but we don’t need to know.  God has a reason for allowing things to happen. We may never understand his wisdom, but we simply have to trust his will. My dad taught me that faith and family are the most important things in life. No one wants to hear bad news.  We all want to live happy and healthy lives.  This terrible diagnosis could have left my family broken, sad, and confused, but instead it brought us closer than before. Reflecting back on this time in my life,  I am grateful that God opened my eyes to new perspectives on the way I live and prevented me from missing out on such timeless moments with my dad.