Introduction

Leaving Death in the Dust

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Introduction

Chronic illness has taught me that, the cause of being sick has way more to do with what human beings have done to each other than all of the other external “toxins” we so often want to point our bony fingers at. In my misery, I’ve often wished death would swallow me up, but when death came to collect me, I drew a line in the sand and told it I wanted to live.

I’m an ordinary nobody as far as the world is concerned, but as far as eternity is concerned, I’m a Pearl of Great Price. Like a speck of sand (or a parasite) becomes a beautiful, resilient, valuable pearl in a mollusk; the glory of a soul is often formed through irritations that cause suffering. It is through the painful challenges and experiences I have been given that I hope to develop humility, wisdom, resilience, compassion, kindness, and love with each passing day that my physical body is wasting away, so that I might become more beautiful and radiant in glory, like the Jewler who bought me with the costly price of his own life.

My name is Stephanie, and like a child, I have learned I can do lots of hard things even when I don’t want to. Some of those things are recorded here.

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