God’s Faithfulness in Adversity: An Update from Chris Klicka

Written by Chris Klicka

Praise the Lord! His mercies and love are everlasting. Thank you for your prayers this past year. God used you to sustain us.

I really thought last year at this time that I could not make it another year. But God heard your cry and delivered me from many symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS).

 God has taken us through deep waters again this year, but His grace is sufficient. My battle with MS stabilized this year, once I got the drugs (taken for MS) cleared out of my system from 2002. I have been drug-free for a year and I can sleep soundly again, my hands are better to type and write, my chemical depression is gone, and I have courage again to go on. I can enjoy life again even though physical movement is a struggle. I have learned to pray against the schemes of Satan and his attempts to do me in. When I pray in Jesus’ name, I get just enough strength for the moment and depression lifts instantly. I know there is spiritual warfare all around and I am trying to daily put on the full armor of God to successfully do battle.

My legs do not work well but I still use a cane. I always wondered why God gave us seven children. But now I see that God knew I would need physical help. Bethany, Megan, Jesse, and even Susanna will always lend me their shoulders to lean on when I feel weaker. All my children gladly operate as my legs if I need anything. As Charity explained to me one day when I walked into work with her, “It is kinda good you have MS because we can help you. If you did not have MS, we would not help you and would not learn!”

God enabled me to still work full-time (4 days at my home office and one day at the HSLDA office). I continue to direct our legal department (four lawyers and seven legal assistants), lead our legislative work in the 50 states, cover the legal work in eight states, write articles, talk regularly to the press, and direct our legal work for homeschooling in 20 countries. God even carried me through seven states as I spoke at state homeschool conventions in Wisconsin, Illinois, Washington, Oregon, Tennessee, Florida, and at a family retreat in North Carolina at my good friend Craig Bulkeley’s church.

Yes, God is with us—and He has been with us for another year. Here is a brief re-cap of His blessings to our family.

My Mother’s Cancer

We were particularly burdened with my mom’s diagnosis with an aggressive cancer. We prayed with her many times over the phone and God miraculously enabled the doctors to surgically remove the cancer. She is now successfully battling remaining cancer cells in her lymph system
with nutrition.

My Wife, Tracy

Tracy, my dear wife, has shouldered a load beyond her strength as she ministers to our family and those around her. Tracy has especially persevered with me for nine long years as I have gradually had more and more of my abilities and mobility taken away by my multiple sclerosis.
As I struggle daily, she is always there encouraging me in the Lord and speaking God's Word into my life to help me keep on against overwhelming odds. She listens to my grief as I sorrow over losing another function of my body or ability to do another activity. She cheerfully assists me and fills in doing tasks I can no longer do.

These last few years, her own personal battle against the attacks of ulcerative colitis has been a great burden.  Yet she bears her suffering and pain without complaining and instead continues to give herself to her family. Her condition at this time is mildly active.

On top of these health battles, she cares for, trains, and homeschools our seven children ages 6, 8, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 16. In addition, she takes time to go on various field trips with the children. She took them all down to Williamsburg for a two-day history tour where they joined up with the Miller family from Canada. She took the children to the Natural History Museum in D.C., along with some visiting German friends, the Richerts and Armin Eckermann. She drove down to Richmond with all the children to the Children’s Science Museum, took Jesse and a friend to the National Spy Museum in D.C., and brought Bethany to a week-long course in North Carolina at JAARS to learn what it takes to be a missionary. Tracy has instilled all the children with a love of music, taking them to concerts and performing songs together before church and other gatherings.

Yet she ministers beyond her family to her friends and church in so many ways. She regularly sings to the Lord in our worship team at church and various other gatherings this year. She organized and spoke at the “Ladies Tea” at our state homeschool convention in Richmond. She also organized four months of housing through the homeschooling network for concert pianist Martin Berkofsky, a cancer survivor, as he ran from Tulsa to Chicago to raise money for cancer research. She has provided hospitality to many visitors, including homeschool leaders from Australia, South Africa, Germany, and around the states. She has taken a sign language class with Jesse, Megan, and Susanna, and has added sign language to her singing. She even took a week-long art course and ended up winning first place for her portrait at our county fair!

But best of all, I can testify that she loves her Heavenly Father with all her heart, soul, and mind—and He is the one who sustains her. Her incredible contentment as she tackles each day and her courage as she faces the uncertain future is an inspiring example to me.

The Children

Bethany: It is hard to believe but Bethany turned sixteen this year! She celebrated the big event with a surprise birthday party organized by Tracy with several families in attendance—and, boy, was she surprised! Bethany has diligently applied herself to her tenth grade homeschool studies, while carrying a full load with household tasks and watching her siblings. She is excelling in her third year of French, her on-line AP history course, and geometry. She has become quite an excellent writer and writes numerous papers, gives speeches, and acted both as a witness
and defense lawyer in a homeschool mock trial competition. She loves children and has helped assist with children’s programs with Megan at various homeschool conventions. She also is quite an artist. Bethany clearly loves the Lord and is a great blessing to all.

Megan:  Megan is thirteen and full of energy like her mom. She gets the breakfast on the table each morning and is highly organized and responsible in every way. She is doing well in her homeschool studies, excels as a writer, has become a good piano player, and was part of the
champion mock trial team. She loves music and making shoulder bags and bead jewelry which she sells or gives as gifts. She seems to be able to do what ever she sets her mind to do. She will be taking voice lessons from her mom soon.

Jesse: Our eleven-year-old son is fast becoming our third child to catch up to his mom’s height! He loves sports: plays in a local Christian basketball league for two months, participates in a homeschool soccer tournament (his team won the championship), and organizes his sisters and brother into two baseball teams in our backyard. He loves to memorize scriptures at AWANA each Friday night and just memorized all of Luke 2 for Christmas. He just has trouble remembering his chores! (For some reason that is a common trait among our kids!) He helped me with some big chores this summer and cut down about 20 trees. He has become quite good in piano and sign language. Recently, while eating, he exclaimed, “What? Are there bones in these bagels?”  We all laughed. Then a minute later, he yelled as he spit something out of his mouth, “I lost a tooth!”

Susanna:  Susanna is nine-years-old and really is exhibiting a servant’s heart. She enjoys working in the kitchen. She is a great organizer and cleaner like her mom. She is growing up fast and we call her the “sunshine maker” because she is quick to flash a smile. She played a duet with Mom at our homeschool support group’s Christmas musical program.

Charity: Charity, oldest of the twins, turned eight this year. She follows in the footsteps of Megan, exhibiting boundless energy—we just have to work a little harder channeling that energy into useful tasks! She is doing well in her homeschool studies with her mom. When Mom and the older girls go away, Charity always rises to help me prepare meals and clean the kitchen.

Amy:  Amy is also growing fast considering she started in this world at only 2 pounds, 13 ounces. Eight years ago, the doctors predicted she would die or be a “vegetable.” God had a different plan for her!  This has been a big year for her. As she said in her own words: “This year I learned to swim, read, ride a bike, and tell time!” She enjoys homeschooling, adores her brother John, and still needs to learn to like her chores!   

John: John is still our “little man,” since his comments, observations, and mannerisms reflect someone twice his age (he just turned six this December). John was feeling grumpy one morning. Grandma Ardie said, “Good Morning, John!”

He politely responded, “Could you say that on another day?”  John truly reflected a heart for the Lord as he met with the elders and shared his faith in Jesus. He told me one day, “Whenever I pray, I pray for you that you will be healed. I always pray for you—even when I am mad at you because you disciplined me. I always pray for you.” And he really does! John is very helpful, thoughtful, and is amazing with math.

Yes, We Are Blessed!

But the greatest blessing of all is God's gift of His Son coming to earth, dying for our sins, and rising again, which is what we especially celebrate at this time of the year. And that gift of love and mercy lasts forever. Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions. I go and prepare a place for you. If this were not true, I would not have said so.”

Praise the Lord! He is our Strength and Shield!

We so appreciate your friendship and prayers. Please let us know how we can pray for you!

Chris Klicka is Senior Counsel of the Home School Legal Defense Association, as well as Director of State and International Relations. He is the author of several books, including The Heart of Homeschooling and Home Schooling: The Right Choice, published by Broadman & Holman. He and his wife Tracy homeschool their seven children.

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