The Key to Perseverance

Intro

Geri 0:01

(This transcript is only lightly unedited.)

Geri 0:01

It's not easy to stay strong when we're beaten down by illness or struggling relationships or by a hard road that doesn't seem to be leading to anywhere promising. So, where do we get our determination when our mind and spirit are tired or hurting? I definitely want to talk about this. Join me. In 2023,

What to expect

Geri 0:26

a life-threatening illness left me paralyzed for nearly a year. Through that journey, I gained a deeper understanding of faith, hope, perseverance, and the strength we find in one another. Long before my own health crisis, helping others through painful or difficult seasons became a calling on my life. I began walking alongside women through biblical counseling in 2005, an experience that led me to earn master's degrees in both counseling and ministry, and become a professional counselor. Here you'll find uplifting stories, practical wisdom, and honest conversations about faith, resilience, and navigating life's challenges. I'm glad you're here.

Geri 1:13

Welcome to Hope Boulevard. I'm Jerry Carlson, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's this.

My dying orchid

Geri 1:21

Always. Thank you so much for tuning in. We're going to talk about determination and perseverance. And a little later I thought I'd share just a glimpse of my passion and life's work. So let's get started.

Geri 1:38

While I was in the hospital starting in 2023, my husband was at my side every day, and that meant that no one was home to water the plants. Well, the two little lonely plants that I had. But let me back up. Seven years ago I received a beautiful orchid as a gift from a dear friend, Jackie. My first thought was, oh no, I've killed every orchid I've ever received. I am not good with plants. But I love this friend, and her gift was so thoughtful. So I put my mind to it that I was going to follow the instructions that came with the plant and do whatever I could to help this orchid thrive. I mean it was beautiful. I just had to keep it that way. The blooms were white with a touch of pink in the inside at the center, and I figured if others could successfully care for orchids, then I could too. So I put in the effort to learn and care for this plant as best I could. And something surprising happened. It actually lived. Whatever I was doing was working. So for

The worst - pain and suffering

Geri 2:58

the next five years, this plant bloomed beautiful flowers at least a few times a year. I'm told that's better than expected. Visitors often commented on its beauty. I came to have sort of a spiritual connection to this little orchid.

Geri 3:15

But then, fast forward a handful of years, my severe neuropathy turned into something worse. I ended up getting hospitalized long term and was paralyzed for nearly a year. The doctors were baffled. This woman suddenly became paralyzed and nobody knows why. It took many, many weeks to discover that I have a very rare genetic blood disorder. Let's pause there. Genetic. I don't know anyone in my family bloodline who was paralyzed, much less had a rare blood disorder. My word. It's called porphyria, and it's very rare. My type is acute hepatic porphyria, specifically variegate porphyria. I'll put a link in the show notes if you're interested in learning more about it.

Geri 4:08

The next two years would be unimaginable. During the worst attack in 2023 was this excruciating abdominal pain, and it was relentless. They say it's the worst pain, worse than childbirth and kidney stones. I screamed and moaned in agony for weeks in the hospital. It was traumatizing, not only to me but to my family. All I know is this was the worst experience me and my husband ever had. After all, it affected him and our adult kids too. I was hospitalized for eight months, mostly out of state. When I finally returned home, it took several more months before

Mindset shift

Geri 4:54

I took my first steps, and I wasn't capable for caring for myself for at least the next year, much less care for a plant. I was surprised my orchid survived at all. It was in bad shape, most of the roots dying by that time. Eventually, I was in a place I could tend my orchid properly, but was it too late?

Geri 5:19

Recently, I reached out to my best friend of more than 35 years. We lived in the Midwest. Actually, we were next door neighbors who became like sisters. We raised our children together, and Jill and I, along with our husbands Jer and Rob, have been through thick and thin. Even though we live in different states, we never let the miles separate us. Do you have

Home, my orchid, and an incredible friend

Geri 5:42

a friend like that? I hope you do. Jill has always been a plant enthusiast. One thing about Jill, come spring and through other seasons when the weather was nice, you could always find her tending to her plants in her yard and her garden. So I recently reached out to her.

Geri 6:02

Now it just so happens that Jill is working to complete her certificate in some kind of horticultural plant studies. Well, of course she is. She now lives in Florida and has dealt with orchid care for a while now. She was the perfect person to help me save my plant. I sent her a photo of my oh pitiful orchid. Jill shared that photo with another plant geek friend of hers who called my plant a miracle. Amazed the plant had survived at this point. There was mostly dead roots. Let me pause to say, and not to waste a good analogy and in an effort to encourage you, if you've ever felt like your roots are drying out or that you're struggling with something in your life, consider counseling or even coaching sessions. I'll share more about that later in the show. Now in true Jill fashion, she sent me plant soil and some kind of plant spray, fertilizer, I think. She also sent me a beautiful new planter because I needed to repot my orchid. Then she sent me instructions and even sent me a couple of videos to watch for the replanting. So there I was, trying to follow every instruction. I knew I wasn't going to do as good of a job as my friend, but somehow I managed to pull it off, even with my barely functional hands.

Geri 7:40

What amazed me most of all was that the orchid had started to bloom before I even replanted it. Dead roots and in poor shape, somehow this orchid remained determined to survive. I couldn't help but believe that there was a strong similarity between the plight of this orchid and my journey back from being paralyzed and near death. Today, so far at least, my miracle orchid is doing beautifully. How many of us have felt like a dying orchid or fill in the blank plant, desperate for a drink of water or a kind word or someone to just show that they care? You're not alone.

Geri 8:26

Perhaps some of you are going through such a season in your life right now. I want to encourage you to hang in there. Storms don't last forever. Remember to be proactive in moving things forward

Determination

Geri 8:41

for the better. Move through the discomfort. Make yourself press on. You can do it. In whatever area is needed, physically, emotionally, mentally, you can do it. Don't wait on someone else to come in and save the day. That's the key to perseverance. I mean it's great when someone shows up and helps, but don't waste time sitting around wishing for something. Keep forging ahead, knowing that there is always hope.

Geri 9:13

Are you surrounded by good people? Are your family or friends very supportive? Reach out to them. Or connect with your church

Difficult seasons and perseverance

Geri 9:22

or friends or whoever it is that has shown you that they have been supportive and caring in the past. Even if they cannot help you at this time, they may be able to offer you encouragement or some wise information. Hang in there. I care about you, and I'm really glad you're here today.

Geri 9:44

I want to offer my faith take for today, which comes from Matthew 7 7. Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be open to you. This verse doesn't mean we'll receive whatever we pray for. And honestly, that's a good thing. God's answers are far better than mine. In this context, in the Greek text, this verse means to ask and seek and knock, and keep on asking, seeking, knocking. Sometimes it's hard to understand God's timing, but I've learned to trust it. Stay diligent. Be intentional in your conversations with God. Even when I was paralyzed from the neck down, I hated what had happened to me. But I can't imagine going through that experience without

Faith take

Geri 10:38

knowing God was with me. I had to trust in His presence, His timing, and His answers, and I'm stronger for it. So stay steadfast. Don't give up. Keep asking, seeking, knocking, and talking with God about everything. Not just your worries, but also remember that He just wants to hear from you. Yes, He already knows everything. But the Lord wants you to reach out and communicate with Him daily to be in relationship. Many of you know this, so I I hope it just comes as a reminder. I know I need reminding sometimes. It's truly the most important thing to me, my relationship with my Lord. I talk to God throughout the day. It is part of what it means to pray without ceasing. I don't want to do life without Him.

Geri 11:37

Question: Have you ever considered counseling to help you through a difficult season in your life or even coaching? My passion for helping people started long before I became paralyzed. And although I'm happy to share my ongoing journey with you, which includes some physical challenges, I have also had to deal with some mental anguish and sorrow during my darkest hour, especially while in the hospital for those eight months. But I'm grateful for a merciful God who brings comfort and healing. Healing isn't necessarily in my time frame, but I know Almighty God hears me.

Geri 12:17

I love people and I hate suffering, which

Question

Geri 12:21

is my greatest motivation for doing this show. It's not just to share my journey. It's much more about sharing whatever I can in hopes to be a source of encouragement and to show that there is always hope. I believe that to my core. Life can be hard, and sometimes we need a little help to work through the pain or hardship.

Geri 12:44

I started mentoring, women mostly, in our church in 2005 when our minister started to refer them to me after I completed training for biblical counseling. By 2008, I returned to college to go deeper and to become a professional counselor. I earned two master's degrees, one in counseling and the other in ministry. In 2011, I became a pastoral counselor, and the following year I was even ordained as a minister of Christ at the same church I had served for many years. That is something I hold very dear to my heart. I've worked with Christians referred to me by various churches and pastors, and I've

A little help

Geri 13:26

worked with self-proclaimed atheists and agnostics in the community. I just love to serve people who are struggling. In fact, I am passionate about it. I love being a counselor and coach.

Geri 13:38

I've worked with individuals, couples, and families over the past couple of decades. So let me share this with you. If you're interested in working with me, just go to my website at jerrycarlson.com and request a free 15-minute call to briefly share with me about your issue and to see if I'd be a good fit. There's more info on the website and I'll leave a link in the show notes.

Geri 14:03

I'd love to hear from you. I'll

My passion

Geri 14:05

continue to pray for you all and I covet your prayers as well, friends. I hope this has been helpful. Let me know in the comments what stood out to you today in the show or what works for you when you come across challenging times. I read your comments and I appreciate your feedback. Thank you for listening. If this has been helpful or encouraging in any way, I would really appreciate it if you'd share it with someone and leave me a message or give a thumbs up. And please hit the subscribe button.

Geri 14:41

Until our paths meet again, make it a great day

Your comments

Geri 14:45

for you and someone else. And remember, friends, there is always hope. Always.

Geri 14:54

See you next time.