Understanding Chronic Illness
When I say chronic illness I’m talking about a life altering health condition that affects a person daily. Something doctors say they can’t cure. Sadly, all they can try to do is contain your symptoms. All you can do is learn how to best deal with it. Understanding what you can and can’t do takes quite awhile. I’m four years into coping and I’m still learning and adjusting to my new normal.
All I can speak from is my experience and perspective. However, I’m believing this can help others get just a glimpse of what chronic illness brings to a person’s life. One, you go through a lot of denial. Two, once you begin to digest your new reality it really affects you mentally and emotionally. Dark, depressive days are bound to come. Three, you fight with it until you’re absolutely tired of fighting.
After so many days of fighting the same painful battle. You’re finally at a major crossroads of brokenness. You can either give up or give things up to God. The only way forward is to keep giving things up to God. To believe that God is bigger than your pain and constant life disruptions. To believe that you don’t have to figure anything out. You just have to keep believing God has a plan.
A person with chronic illness is often uneasy. They just don’t feel comfortable in their own skin. Life is never easy from sun up to sun down. Even sleep is much harder to find. They don’t need you to fix them. They just need you to understand that the battle is real and constant. They need your compassion and prayers. These folks typically know how to lavish compassion towards other’s pain. Why?Because they know what it’s like to live in pain.
“The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14
Pastor Craig Crosby 