Can You Heal?

Stewardship, Suffering, and Trusting God with the Outcome

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” — Proverbs 15:22

Can you heal?

At first glance, the answer seems obvious.

Of course you can.

After all, our bodies were designed by an infinitely wise Creator. Every second of every day, they are repairing, rebuilding, regenerating, and adapting. Cuts close. Bones mend. Cells replace themselves. The body is constantly moving toward balance and restoration.

As a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, I spend much of my time helping clients identify and support those healing opportunities. We look at sleep, stress, digestion, detoxification, nutrient status, hormones, hidden infections, food sensitivities, and environmental stressors. We seek to remove obstacles and provide the body with the resources it needs to function as God designed.

And often, incredible things happen.

Symptoms improve.

Energy returns.

Inflammation decreases.

People regain hope.

But what happens when you’ve done all of that and you’re still suffering?

What happens when you’ve prayed?

When you’ve changed your diet?

When you’ve invested in testing?

When you’ve worked with practitioners?

When you’ve faithfully applied what you’ve learned?

What happens when healing comes—but not completely?

That is a question I know intimately.

When Healing Doesn’t Look Like We Expected

My own journey with chronic Lyme disease has taught me that healing is rarely as simple as we wish it were.

Over the years, I have experienced remarkable improvements.

Food reactions that once controlled my life have diminished significantly.

Inflammation has decreased.

My hormones became more balanced.

Healthy weight came off.

My energy improved.

Brain fog lifted.

I no longer rely on caffeine to silence fatigue signals and push through my day.

In many ways, I am healthier today than I have been in years.

And yet, Lyme disease left its mark.

Particularly in my lower gastrointestinal system.

There have been moments of deep frustration and discouragement. Moments spent lying on the bathroom floor crying out to God. Moments asking questions I suspect many people living with chronic illness have asked:

“Lord, why won’t my body do what You designed it to do?”

“Why is this still hard?”

“Why am I still struggling when I’ve done everything I know to do?”

These are not easy questions.

Nor are they questions with neat, tidy answers.

The Difference Between Stewardship and Control

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is that stewardship and control are not the same thing.

Stewardship is our responsibility.

Control belongs to God.

As Christians, we are called to care for the bodies we’ve been given. Scripture repeatedly teaches wise stewardship of what God entrusts to us.

That means pursuing wisdom.

Seeking counsel.

Making decisions that support health and flourishing.

Paying attention to the clues our bodies provide.

Addressing the factors that may be standing in the way of healing.

What it does not mean is guaranteeing an outcome.

Somewhere along the way, many of us begin to believe a subtle lie:

“If I do everything right, I should get the result I want.”

But life doesn’t always work that way.

Not because God is unfaithful.

Not because healing isn’t possible.

But because we live in a fallen world where sickness, suffering, and death still exist.

Our stewardship is not measured by whether we achieve perfect health.

It is measured by our faithfulness in caring for what God has entrusted to us.

What Ongoing Symptoms Can Teach Us

Within the FDN philosophy, we often talk about healing opportunities.

The body is designed to heal when given the right environment and resources.

But sometimes symptoms remain.

That doesn’t automatically mean you’ve failed.

In fact, persistent symptoms often serve as clues.

They may indicate:

• A missing piece of the puzzle.
• An unresolved stressor.
• A hidden infection.
• A structural issue.
• A nervous system component.
• An environmental exposure.
• The need for additional practitioners or perspectives.

This is where Proverbs 15:22 becomes so valuable:

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.“

Sometimes wisdom means expanding the team.

Sometimes it means asking new questions.

Sometimes it means collaborating with specialists, physicians, therapists, surgeons, or other healthcare providers.

As an FDN Practitioner, I firmly believe in addressing the foundations first because foundations matter.

Sleep matters.

Nutrition matters.

Digestion matters.

Stress resilience matters.

Detoxification matters.

These are not optional.

They are foundational.

But foundations are not always the entire house.

When symptoms persist despite faithfully addressing the basics, that doesn’t invalidate the foundations.

It simply means there may be another layer waiting to be uncovered.

The Onion of Healing

One of the most accurate ways I can describe healing is this:

It’s like peeling an onion.

You address one layer.

You make progress.

You celebrate.

Then another layer appears.

At times, this can feel discouraging.

You think you’ve arrived, only to discover there’s still work ahead.

But perhaps that isn’t failure.

Perhaps that is simply the reality of living in complex human bodies.

I have seen this repeatedly in my own journey.

Each layer addressed has brought meaningful improvement.

Each layer has revealed new opportunities.

Each layer has taught me something about God’s faithfulness.

The goal isn’t perfection.

The goal is progress.

And sometimes progress comes one layer at a time.

Paul’s Thorn and the Mystery of Suffering

There is a reason I find myself returning often to Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians.

Three times Paul pleaded with God to remove his thorn in the flesh.

Three times.

And God’s answer wasn’t immediate healing.

Instead, God said:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

I don’t pretend to fully understand suffering.

I don’t understand why some people experience dramatic healing while others walk long roads of chronic illness.

I don’t understand why some prayers are answered quickly while others seem to linger for years.

But I do know this:

God is not absent in our suffering.

In fact, some of the deepest experiences of His presence occur in the places we most desperately wish He would remove.

I would never choose many of the hardships I’ve walked through.

Yet I can honestly say I have encountered God’s faithfulness there.

In the waiting.

In the uncertainty.

In the setbacks.

In the questions.

In the pain.

Healing on This Side of Heaven

One of the challenges of living in a culture that celebrates transformation stories is that we often expect healing to end with a perfect conclusion.

A complete resolution.

A triumphant finish.

But for many of us, the story is still being written.

The reality is that complete healing may not arrive in this lifetime.

That isn’t a statement of hopelessness.

It’s a statement of eternal perspective.

As believers, we live in the tension of the “already” and the “not yet.”

Christ has secured our ultimate healing.

Yet creation still groans.

Our bodies still ache.

Our hearts still long for restoration.

One day, every disease will be undone.

Every scar redeemed.

Every tear wiped away.

Every broken thing made new.

The ultimate healing we seek is guaranteed—not because of our efforts, but because of Christ.

So, Can You Heal?

Yes.

Your body possesses extraordinary healing capacity.

God designed it that way.

Yes, there are often healing opportunities that can be uncovered and supported through wise stewardship.

Yes, progress is possible.

Sometimes remarkable progress.

But healing is bigger than symptom resolution.

Healing includes trust.

Healing includes surrender.

Healing includes wisdom.

Healing includes perseverance.

Healing includes allowing God to meet us in places that remain unfinished.

So if you’re weary today…

If you’re tired of trying.

If you’re frustrated by another symptom.

If you’re wondering why you’re still struggling.

Please hear this:

You have not failed.

You are not broken beyond repair.

You are not forgotten.

Keep seeking wisdom.

Keep inviting counsel.

Keep stewarding the body God has entrusted to you.

Keep asking questions.

Keep pursuing healing opportunities.

And keep trusting the Great Physician with what remains.

Because even when it is not better yet, God is still at work.

And one day—on this side of heaven or the next—it will be.

In closing… A Prayer for the Weary

Father, thank You for the bodies You have entrusted to us. Give us wisdom to steward them faithfully, courage to seek counsel when we need help, and grace to trust You with what remains beyond our control. For those who are weary from chronic illness, pain, unanswered questions, or long seasons of waiting, remind them that they are not forgotten. Meet them in their suffering and strengthen them for the next faithful step. We trust You as the Great Physician and look forward to the day when all things are made new. In Jesus’ name, Amen.