Q&A with Beth Madison: “You are more than your disease. You can be defined by your disease or you can be defined by trusting God with your disease.”

Beth Madison teaches biology at Union University and is a patient advocate through Global Healthy Living Foundation. Over the last eight years, her health journey has included rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, as well as other chronic illness.

I love the story Beth shares in this interview about friends who are wonderful examples of what it looks like to faithfully support someone with invisible illness, as well as her examples of how God proves Himself trustworthy over and over again.

I hope you’re encouraged by this conversation with Beth on chronic illness, faith, and perseverance.

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Interview with Beth Madison from Jackson, Tennessee, age 51
On patient advocacy, God’s trustworthiness, and life with health conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and lupus

Cassie: What is something you love or something God has given you a passion for?

Beth: Patient advocacy—speaking and writing for those who don’t have opportunity to do so for themselves—this is amazingly energizing for me. Researching and writing Bible studies—seeing and exploring concepts in the Christian life not only helps me grow closer to Christ but (hopefully) encourages others to do the same and to find that their hope lies in Christ alone. Cooking (especially baking) for family and friends. Walks outside (woods or beach) when I am able—these are special prayer and worship times for me to rejoice in the beauty God has placed in creation all around me.

Cassie: Please briefly share the names of your chronic illnesses along with a brief description.

Beth: Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus (the primary ones which are causing or contributing to the others) and autoimmune diseases where my body is essentially attacking itself. Symptoms include joint damage, pain, swelling, stiffness, rashes, overwhelming fatigue, anemia, and others. I also have chronic migraine, osteoporosis, gastroparesis, and other digestive issues.

Cassie: What is one of the most difficult challenges you’ve experienced due to your illnesses? How has that challenge shaped you? 

Beth: I cannot do everything I want to do, no matter how hard I try. Before my RA/lupus diagnosis in 2012, I had never encountered anything that I couldn’t beat or at least survive getting through, including multiple years of grad school, difficult high-risk pregnancies, financial losses, an abusive dating relationship (before my husband!) etc. These diseases floored me and thankfully have taught me that I can trust God with everything—He never leaves; He provides; He sees and hears me in all of my needs; He alone is trustworthy and powerful.

Cassie: What is something you would like people to better understand about your illnesses?

Beth: That I am not a victim (nor a victor) because of them. God alone is my Rock and Fortress and the One Who provides strength when I trust Him in all things. Please don’t admire me or how well (or not!)  I live with all these every day. If you are seeing anything good at all, you are seeing Jesus in me. I am weak, broken, pitiful at best; Jesus is tender, giving, strong and always present. He alone can take what is unwanted, painful, and hard and use it for good in my life and the lives of others if and when I trust Him to do so.

Cassie: Tell me about a time when someone came through for you when you were going through your health struggles.

Beth: Two of my colleagues at the university where I work started helping when I was first diagnosed and still are helping eight years later. One of them checks on me every Monday before I teach a lab class to see if I’m feeling ok or if I need him to substitute teach for me. The other sets up a meal plan where she brings my family and me a meal at least once a month during fall and spring semesters. They are faithful to care and each and every time they help, it’s as if God is reminding me that He cares for me and is providing for me through His people.

Cassie: What advice or encouragement would you offer to someone going through chronic illnesses?

Beth: You are more than your disease. You can be defined by your disease or you can be defined by trusting God with your disease. Every single day is hard but nothing is bigger or stronger or stays longer than Jesus.

Cassie: What is something God is teaching you recently?

Beth: To receive, specifically with Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you” (BSB). I’ve always been one to go after things and (usually) get them for myself—again that arrogance/determination that persists unfortunately. Yet this year, God has been speaking deeply to me that my role is to pray and to wait and to receive what He has for me (not what I can come up with for myself). I’m so very grateful for how God is teaching me this and when I stand back and pray, what He gives is often beyond imagination and always beyond my abilities.

Cassie: What is something you are most thankful for right now?

Beth: That I can trust God with the outcome when I am obedient to Him, for when He is working in and through me, He is glorified and his people are helped. He alone takes the little and makes it much.

Cassie: Are there any resources you can recommend that encourage you through your chronic illnesses?

Beth: Global Healthy Living Foundation provides excellent resources with practical, do-able helps, especially now in the COVID-19 crisis. I am for this organization so much that I’m a patient advocate with them for lupus and RA.

Cassie: I’m a bookworm and I have to ask: Read any good books lately?

Beth: Me too! I’ve been going back through Jesus Calling by Sarah Young and My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers again—still as stellar as before! Elisabeth Elliot’s latest book (published posthumously) called Suffering is Never for Nothing. I’m also re-reading Eugenia Price’s many novels about South Georgia/Florida such as Margaret’s Story. (If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m doing a lot of re-reading old books since I don’t have access to the library at the moment because of the COVID-19 quarantine.) [Note from Cassie: quarantine was still going on when I interviewed Beth.]

Cassie: What is something else you would like people to know about you?

Beth: I am privileged to teach biology at the best university ever! Union University is a smaller, private Christian university where my first son (and his wife! so grateful for her!) graduated, where my younger son will be attending in the fall, and where my husband also teaches biology.  God provided this job for me in an amazing way 13 years ago, and then reshaped my job for me into mostly online teaching even before I was diagnosed and needed to go to working from home. Before my husband and I started at Union, we never dreamed that such a neat place even existed with such caring people who love Jesus deeply.

 

Thank you for sharing some of your story Beth!

We hope you enjoyed this interview and learned something new!
We’d love to hear from you in the comments, so please let us know if you related to Beth’s story, discovered new information, or have any questions for us!

 

Read more Invisible Illness, Visible Worth interviews here.

Interested in being interviewed? I’d love to help share your story! Find the details here.

Opinions and views are those of the interviewee. This blog post is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

 

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